Sec 4.

2
2 x 2 x2 =8; 3
2 =8

log 2 8=3

10 x 10 =100; 102=100∨log 10 100=2

34 =81∨log 3 81=4

Logarithmic Functions
The inverse of exponential functions are logarithmic
functions
Definition: If x is a positive number and b>0, b ≠1

then
y=log b x if ∧only if b y =x

4
log 2 16=4∨2 =16
4
log 3 81=4 ; 3 =81

1. x
log b b =x

3
log 2 2 =x
 x
log b ¿
2. ¿
¿
b¿

log
¿
x
or ¿ 10 ¿
¿
10¿

Examples: 1.
3
log 2 8=3 means 2 =8

ii) From 2
3 =9it follows that log 3 9=2

iii) From 2
5 =25 it follows that log 5 25=2

Log refers to an exponent.

Graphs of Logarithmic Functions.
If base b >1, the graph is the mirror image of the
graph of an exponential function with base b> 1 in
the line y = x.
Ex: Plot the graph of y=log 2 x
 Some properties:
1.The domain of a logarithmic function is x>0 or
(0, ∞ ¿.

The log of a negative number or zero does not

exist.
2.The range is the interval (−∞ , ∞ ) .
3. The logarithm of 1 is zero and so the x
intercept is 1.
 Some important logarithms are log to the base
10 denoted by log x and log to the base e
denoted by ln x.

ln x is read as the natural log of x.

Properties of Logarithms

1. log b ( uv )=log b u+log b v

Log(2x)=log2+logx

log ( x 2 y ) =log x 2+logy

Log20 +log3=log(20*3)
Log3+log4+logx=log(3*4*x)

2. log b ( uv )=log u−log v

b b

Log(5/3)=log5-log3

Log(x/2)=logx-log2

Logx-log4=log(x/4)

Ln(x+1)-ln3=ln(x+1/3)

3. r
log b u =r log b u
 2
ln x =2lnx
log 23=3 log 2
3x
log 2 =3 xlog 2
xln3=ln 3 x

4. log b u=log b v if ∧only if u=v

Examples:

1. Find log √ 5
1
1 1
log √ 5=log5 2 = log5 ≈ ( 0.6990 )=0.3495
2 2

2. Simplify log
( x1 )
2 in terms of log x

log
( x1 )=log1−log ( x )=0−log ( x )=−2logx .
2
2 2

1
Since this is defined only for x>0 we have log
( )
x2
=−2 log x=−2 log|x|

3. Simplify log ( 1621 )

log ( 1621 )=log 16−log 21

Combining Logarithms
Write ln x−ln ( x +1 ) as a single logarithm.

lna−ln b=ln ( ab )
So ln x−ln ( x +1 )=ln ( x +1x )

Wrtie ln ( zwx ) in terms of lnx ,lnz∧lnw .

ln ( zwx )=ln x−ln ( zw )=ln x −lnz−lnw

√
8
x 5 ( x −2 )
Write ln
3
in terms of lnx ,ln(x-2) and ln(x-3) .
x−3

√
5 8 5 8 1/ 3 5 8
ln
x ( x −2 )
3

x−3
=ln
x ( x−2 )
x−3 ( ) 1 x ( x−2 )
= ln
3 x−3

1 1
¿ { ln (x5 ( x−2 )8 – ln ( x−3 )) }= {ln x 5 + ln ( x−2 )8 −ln( x −3)}
3 3

1
= 3
{5 lnx+8 ln ( x−2 ) −ln ( x−3 ) }

Simplify I ) ln e
3x

e
ln¿=3 x
ln e 3 x =3 x ¿
ii) Find
2

e (ln x ) .

e (ln x )=x 2

iii) Solve
2

10log x =25

x 2=25 so x=5∧x=−5

Important: ln x 2 ≠ ( lnx )2 . Here ln x2=ln ( x . x )∧( lnx )2=( lnx )( lnx )

Notation:
( lnx )2=ln 2 x

Change of Base Formula

log
¿
b
¿a¿
¿
¿
¿
log m
( m )= ¿a
log b ¿

Example: Express log x in terms of natural logarithms.

 10
lnx
log e ¿=
ln 10
¿
x=log e x /¿
x=log 10 ¿
log¿

Write the following in terms of lnx, ln(x+1) and ln(x+2)

1. ln √5 x
( x+1)3
5 1
ln
√ x =ln √5 x−ln (x+1)3=ln x 5 −ln ( x +1 )3= 1 lnx−3 ln ⁡( x+ 1)
3
(x +1) 5

x 2 ( x +1)
2. Qs ln
x+2

2
x ( x+1 ) 2 2
ln =ln x ( x+1 ) −ln ( x+ 2 )=ln x + ln ( x+1 )−ln ( x+ 2 )=2 lnx +ln ( x+ 1 )−ln ( x +2 )
x +2

Ex: Graph of x
y=2 ∧ y=log 2 x on the same axes.
1.For example, log 100 = x means
x
10 =100. So x=2. Hence log 100 = 2

2.ln e = x means x
e =e . So x = 1.

Hence ln e = 1.

Solving logarithmic and exponential

equations.
1.Solve log 2 x=4.

The equation can be written as 24 =x

So x = 16

2.Solve ln(x+1)=7

We have 7 7
e =x +1. Hence x=e −1

3.Solve log x 49=2

This means x =49. So x=7. 2

The base of a logarithmic number can never

be negative so we reject x = -7.

4.Solve 5x
e =4
ln 4
5 x=ln 4, So x=
5

5..
5 2 2 2 2
1+ e−2 x
3 ()
=3 5=3+3 e−2 x 2=3 e−2 x =e−2 x ln
3 ()
=lne−2 x ln
3
=−2 x so x=
−1
2 ()
ln
3
Solving an exponential equation
Find x if ( 25 ) x+2=53 x−4

x+2
( 52 ) =53 x−4

( 5 )2 x+ 4=5 3 x−4

2x+4=3x-4
X=8

Solve 5+(3)4 x-1 =12

Solution: we first isolate the exponential expression
4 x-1 on one side of the equation.
5+ ( 3 ) 4
x−1
=12

( 3 ) 4 x−1 =7
7
4 x−1=
3

7
ln 4 x−1=ln ⁡( )
3
( x−1)ln 4=ln 7−ln 3

ln 7−ln 3
x−1=
ln 4

ln 7−ln3
x= +1
ln 4

Example:
The demand equation for a product is
1−0.1 q
p=12

Use common logs to express q in terms of p.

Solution:
log p=log (121-0.1q)
log p=(1-0.1q)log 12
logp
=1−0.1 q
log12

logp
0.1 q=1−
log 12
q= ( 0.11 )( 1− loglogp12 )
Solving a logarithmic equation:
Solve log 2 x=5−log 2 (x+ 4)

Solution:
log 2 x+log 2 ❑ ( x +4 )=5

y
log 2 [ x ( x +4 ) ]=5 as log b x= y implies b =x

x ( x +4 )=25
2
x + 4 x=32

(x−4)(x+ 8)=0

x=4∨x=−8

We require x greater than 0, so x=4 is the only

solution.