I need some help understanding how logarithms work. I just can’t wrap my head around the concept, and I can only find videos online explaining how to rearrange a log equation. I’m looking for an explanation as to how it works, and perhaps the theory behind it.
I’ve also heard that log is easier to use for more complex calculations. How does rounding work with log? What is a natural log? What is e?
In: 3
Log is just exponents backwards.
You know how if you divide X by Y you get Z, but you can put the parts together different ways depending on what you have and get the third thing?
X/Y = Z
Y * Z = X
X/Z = Y
Well, logarithms are just another way of putting together exponents. Say you have:
X^Y = Z
But what if you have X and Z, but not Y? X becomes the logarithm *base*, and you can do:
log[X](Z) = Y
Same operation, different parts. Ln(x) is the *natural logarithm*, ie the base is Euler’s number (*e*, or ~2.718), which has special properties in certain branches of mathematics. Notably, the derivative of *e*^x is also *e*^x.
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