LESSON 10
EXPONENTIAL and LOGARITHMIC
FUNCTIONS
EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION
If x and b are real numbers such that b > 0 and b 1, then
f(x) = bx is an exponential function with base b.
Examples of exponential functions:
a) y = 3x
b) f(x) = 6x
Example: Evaluate the function y = 4x at the given values of x.
a) x = 2
b) x = -3
c) x = 0
PROPERTIES OF EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION y = bx
The domain is the set of all real numbers.
The range is the set of positive real numbers.
The y intercept of the graph is 1.
The x axis is an asymptote of the graph.
The function is one to one.
The graph of the function y = bx
y bx
Domain : ,
Range : 0 ,
y int ercept : 0 ,1
x int ercept : none
Horizontal Asymptote : x axis
1
o
EXAMPLE 1: Graph the function y = 3x
x
-3
-2
-1
1/27
1/9
1/3
27
y 3x
1
o
EXAMPLE 2: Graph the function y = (1/3)x
x
-3
-2
-1
27
1/3
1/9
1/27
y
1
y
3
1
o
EXAMPLE 3: Graph of the function y = 3x
with translations
y
y 3x
y 3x 1
y 3 x 1
1
o
NATURAL EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION: f(x) = ex
y
f x e x
Domain : ,
Range : 0 ,
y int ercept : 0 ,1
x int ercept : none
Horizontal Asymptote : x axis
1
o
DEFINITION OF A LOGARITHM AND A LOGARITHMIC FUNCTION
If x > 0 and b is a positive constant (b 1), then
y = logb x
if and only if
by = x
The notation logb x is read the logarithm (or log) base b of x.
The function defined by f(x) = logb x is a logarithmic function
with base b. This function is the inverse of the exponential
function g(x) = bx.
Examples of logarithmic functions:
a) y = log3 x
b) f(x) = log6 x
Definition of Exponential Form and Logarithmic Form:
The exponential form of y = logb x is by = x.
The logarithmic form of by = x is y = logb x.
EXAMPLE 1: Express in exponential form:
a ) log4 64 3
b ) log2 32 5
c ) log 1 16 4
2
d ) log5 0.04 2
EXAMPLE 2: Express in logarithmic form:
a ) 6 3 216
5
4
b ) 16 32
4
3
c ) 27 81
1
2
d ) 49 7
PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS
The domain is the set of positive real numbers.
The range is the set of all real numbers.
The x intercept of the graph is 1.
The y axis is an asymptote of the graph.
The function is one to one.
The graph of the function y = logb x
y
Domain : 0 ,
Range : ,
x int ercept : 0 ,1
y int ercept : none
Vertical Asymptote : y axis
x
y logb x
EXAMPLE 1: Graph the function y = log3 x
x
1/27
1/9
1/3
27
-3
-2
-1
y log3 x
EXAMPLE 2: Graph the function y = log1/3 x
x
27
1/3
1/9
1/27
-3
-2
-1
y log 1 x
3
EXAMPLE 3: Graph the function y = log3 x
with translations
y
y log3 x 2
o
y log3 x 2
x
y log3 x
DEFINITION OF COMMON AND NATURAL LOGARITHMS
The function defined by f(x) = log10 x is called the common
logarithmic function. It is customarily written as f(x) = log x,
without stating the base.
The function defined by f(x) = loge x is called the natural
logarithmic function. It is customarily written as f(x) = ln x.
If ln x loge x , then ln e loge e 1
PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMS
If M, N, and b (b 1) are positive real numbers, and r is any real
number, then
logb MN logb M logb N
M
logb logb M logb N
N
r
logb N r logb N
logb b 1
logb 1 0
logb b x x
b logb x x
Since logarithmic function is continuous and one-to-one,
every positive real number has a unique logarithm to the
base b. Therefore,
logbN = logbM
if and only if
N=M
EXAMPLE 1: Express the ff. in expanded form:
d) log2 x 4 y 3
a ) log3 xyz
b ) log6 3 x
mnp
c ) log4 2
t
e) log5
x2
y 5 p3
EXAMPLE 2: Express as a single logarithm:
a) log2 x 2 log2 x log2 3
b ) 2 loga m 3 loga n
2
c ) log5 2 3 log5 m 2 log5 n log5 p
3
CHANGE-OF-BASE FORMULA
If x, a, and b are positive real numbers with a 1 and b 1,
then
loga x
logb x
loga b
Because most calculators use only common logarithms (a = 10)
or natural logarithms (a = e), the change-of-base formula is
used most often in the following form.
If x and b are positive real numbers and b 1, then
loga x
ln x
logb x
loga b ln b
EXAMPLE: Use common logarithms and natural
logarithms to find each logarithm:
a) log5 65
b) log0.8 70
c) log2 0.1
