Unit 6

Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

Lesson 3: Logarithmic Functions


In the video shown below, the connection between exponential and logarithmic functions is reinforced. 

As seen in the video, the logarithmic function is the inverse of the exponential function. That is, if «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«msup»«mi»b«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«/msup»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math», then the inverse function is «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mfenced»«mi»x«/mi»«/mfenced»«mo»=«/mo»«msub»«mi»log«/mi»«mi»b«/mi»«/msub»«mi»x«/mi»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math». The two functions are mirror images in the line «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»y«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«mi»x«/mi»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math». Since the functions are inverses, the values of the «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»x«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math»- and «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mi»y«/mi»«/mstyle»«/math»-coordinates are interchanged. As such, the point «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mfenced»«mrow»«mn»0«/mn»«mo»,«/mo»«mo»§#160;«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfenced»«/mstyle»«/math» on the graph of the exponential function «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«msup»«mi»b«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«/msup»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» become «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mfenced»«mrow»«mn»1«/mn»«mo»,«/mo»«mo»§#160;«/mo»«mn»0«/mn»«/mrow»«/mfenced»«/mstyle»«/math» on the graph of the logarithmic function «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mfenced»«mi»x«/mi»«/mfenced»«mo»=«/mo»«msub»«mi»log«/mi»«mi»b«/mi»«/msub»«mi»x«/mi»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math».

The graphs of «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«msup»«mi»b«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«/msup»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»,«/mi»«mo»§#160;«/mo»«mspace width=¨0.125em¨/»«mi»b«/mi»«mo»§#62;«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» and «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mfenced»«mi»x«/mi»«/mfenced»«mo»=«/mo»«msub»«mi»log«/mi»«mi»b«/mi»«/msub»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»,«/mi»«mo»§#160;«/mo»«mspace width=¨0.125em¨/»«mi»b«/mi»«mo»§#62;«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» are shown below.




The graphs of «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»(«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»)«/mi»«mo»=«/mo»«msup»«mi»b«/mi»«mi»x«/mi»«/msup»«mo mathvariant=¨italic¨»,«/mo»«mo mathvariant=¨italic¨»§#160;«/mo»«mspace width=¨0.125em¨/»«mn»0«/mn»«mo»§#60;«/mo»«mi»b«/mi»«mo»§#60;«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» and «math style=¨font-family:Verdana¨ xmlns=¨http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML¨»«mstyle mathsize=¨14px¨»«mrow»«mi»f«/mi»«mfenced»«mi»x«/mi»«/mfenced»«mo»=«/mo»«msub»«mi»log«/mi»«mi»b«/mi»«/msub»«mi»x«/mi»«mi mathvariant=¨normal¨»,«/mi»«mo»§#160;«/mo»«mspace width=¨0.125em¨/»«mn»0«/mn»«mo»§#60;«/mo»«mi»b«/mi»«mo»§#60;«/mo»«mn»1«/mn»«/mrow»«/mstyle»«/math» are shown below.




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