EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS (指数与对数函数)

LOGARITHMS (对数)

Logarithms are the inverse functions to exponentiation.

𝑦 = 𝑎 𝑥 ⇔ 𝑥 = log 𝑎 𝑦 , where 𝑎 and 𝑦 > 0

Example 1:

Solve for 𝑥 if log 3 81 = 𝑥.

3𝑥 = 81
3 𝑥 = 34
∴𝑥=4

Example 2:

Solve for 𝑥 if 𝑥 = log √3 27.

𝑥
(√3) = 27
𝑥
3 2 = 33
𝑥
=3
2
𝑥=6

Example 3:

Solve for 𝑥 if 3 log 3 [log 3 (log 3 3𝑥)] = 0.

3 log 3 [log 3 (log 3 3𝑥)] = 0

log 3 [log 3 (log 3 3𝑥)] = 0
log 3 (log 3 3𝑥) = 30
(log 3 3𝑥) = 31
3𝑥 = 33
3𝑥 = 27
𝑥=9
EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS (指数与对数函数)
LOGARITHM LAWS AND OPERATIONS

Product and quotient laws

log 𝑎 𝑚 + log 𝑎 𝑛 = log 𝑎 𝑚𝑛

𝑚
log 𝑎 𝑚 − log 𝑎 𝑛 = log 𝑎
𝑛

Example 4:

log 3 9 + log 3 27 = log 3 (9 × 27) = log 3 (3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3)

= log 3 216
=5

Example 5:

125 5×5×5
log 5 125 − log 5 25 = log 5 = log 5 ( )
25 5×5
= log 5 5
=1

Power Law

log 𝑎 𝑚𝑛 = 𝑛 log 𝑎 𝑚

Example 6:

log 4 64 = log 4 43
= 3 log 4 4
=3

Change of base rule

log 𝑏 𝑚
log 𝑎 𝑚 =
log 𝑏 𝑎

Proof:

𝐿𝑒𝑡 log 𝑎 𝑚 = 𝑥
𝑎𝑥 = 𝑚
log 𝑏 𝑎 𝑥 = log 𝑏 𝑚
𝑥 log 𝑏 𝑎 = log 𝑏 𝑚
log 𝑏 𝑚
𝑥=
log 𝑏 𝑎
EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS (指数与对数函数)
BASE 10 AND NATURAL LOGARITHMS

log10 𝑥 ⇔ lg 𝑥
log 𝑒 𝑥 ⇔ ln 𝑥

Example 7:

3𝑥 = 64
lg 3𝑥 = lg 64
𝑥 lg 3 = lg 64
lg 64
𝑥=
lg 3
≈ 3.79(3 s. f. )

Example 8:

Find the value of 𝑥 for the equation 𝑒 𝑥−𝑒 = 10. Hence, solve the equation 3𝑒 𝑦 − 5 = 2𝑒 −𝑦 .

𝑒 𝑥−𝑒 = 10
ln 𝑒 𝑥−𝑒 = ln 10
𝑥 − 𝑒 = ln 10
𝑥 = ln 10 + 𝑒
≈ 5.02 (3 s. f. )

GRAPHS OF EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS

• Graphs of exponential functions always passes through the point (0 , 1) as 𝑎0 = 1.

• Asymptote (渐近线) is at 𝑦 = 0 for 𝑦 = 𝑎 𝑥 as the function cannot be < 0.
• Asymptote (渐近线) is at 𝑥 = 0 for 𝑦 = log 𝑎 𝑥 as the function cannot take in values of 𝑥 < 0.

— 𝑦 = 𝑎 𝑥 , where 𝑎 > 1 — 𝑦 = 𝑎 𝑥 , where 𝑎 < 1

— 𝑦 = log 𝑎 𝑥, where 𝑎 > 1 — 𝑦 = log 𝑎 𝑥, where 𝑎 < 1
--- 𝑦 = 𝑥 --- 𝑦 = 𝑥
EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS (指数与对数函数)
Example 9:

Sketch the graphs of each of the following functions:

(a) 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥+1 + 2 (b) 𝑦 = 3𝑒 1−2𝑥
(c) 𝑦 = ln(4𝑥 − 5) (d) 𝑦 = ln(3 − 2𝑥)

(a) (b)

(c) (d)
EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS (指数与对数函数)
Example 10:

Sketch the graph of 𝑦 = ln 𝑥. Hence, by drawing a suitable straight line on the same graph, find the number
of solutions of the equation 𝑥 2 𝑒 𝑥−2 = 1.

𝑥 2 𝑒 𝑥−2 = 1
ln(𝑥 2 𝑒 𝑥−2 ) = ln 1
ln 𝑥 2 + ln 𝑒 𝑥−2 = 0
2 ln 𝑥 + (𝑥 − 2) ln 𝑒 = 0
2 ln 𝑥 + 𝑥 − 2 = 0
2 ln 𝑥 = 2 − 𝑥
2−𝑥
ln 𝑥 =
2
2−𝑥
∴ line to be drawn is 𝑦 =
2

∴ There is only one solution.