Logarithm (LN)

Why Trust Techopedia

What Does Logarithm (LN)?

A logarithm (LN) is a concept in mathematics that denotes the number of times a number has to be multiplied by itself in order to arrive at a specified value. In mathematical terms, a logarithm of a number is the exponent that is used to raise another number, the base, in order to arrive at that number.

Advertisements

Techopedia Logarithm (LN)

Logarithm is the reverse of the operation of exponentiation, which is raising a number according to a power. In exponentiation, a final value is determined after raising a base value with its exponent, while in logarithm, the final value and base are already known and the exponent is the value in question.

Logarithm is denoted as “logb (x) = r” or said as “the logarithm of x with respect to base b” or “the base-b logarithm of x,” where b is the base, x is the value and r is the logarithmic value or the exponent.

So for example, if 23 = 8 is expressed in exponentiation because 2 × 2 × 2 = 8, the inverse of that, which is the logarithm of 8 with respect to 2 is equal to 3, expressed as log2 8 = 3. They essentially have the same meaning but are expressed in a different manner and order.

Logarithm is used in scientific and mathematical calculations in order to depict perceived levels of measurable quantities such as electromagnetic field strength, visible light and sound energy.

Advertisements

Related Terms

Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.