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
Domain : , y bx
Range : 0 ,
y int ercept : 0 ,1
x int ercept : none
Horizontal Asymptote : x axis
1
o x
EXAMPLE 1: Graph the function y = 3x
x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y 1/27 1/9 1/3 1 3 9 27
y 3x
1
o x
EXAMPLE 2: Graph the function y = (1/3)x
x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y 27 9 3 1 1/3 1/9 1/27
x
1
y
3
1
o x
EXAMPLE 3: Graph of the function y = 3x
with translations
y
y 3x
y 3x 1
y 3 x 1
1
o x
NATURAL EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION: f(x) = ex
y
Domain : , f x e x
Range : 0 ,
y int ercept : 0 ,1
x int ercept : none
Horizontal Asymptote : x axis
1
o x
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
b ) 16 32
4
4
c ) 27 81
3
1
d ) 49 7
2
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
o 1 x
Domain : 0 ,
Range : ,
y logb x
x int ercept : 0 ,1
y int ercept : none
Vertical Asymptote : y axis
EXAMPLE 1: Graph the function y = log3 x
x 1/27 1/9 1/3 1 3 9 27
y -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y
y log3 x
1
o x
EXAMPLE 2: Graph the function y = log1/3 x
x 27 9 3 1 1/3 1/9 1/27
y -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
1
o x
y log 1 x
3
EXAMPLE 3: Graph the function y = log3 x
with translations
y
y log3 x 2
1
o x
y log3 x 2 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 logee 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
logb N r logb N
r
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:
a ) log3 xyz d) log2 x 4 y 3
x2
b ) log6 3 x 2
e) log5
y 5 p3
mnp
c ) log4 2
t
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
