EXPONENTIAL AND

LOGARITHMIC
FUNCTIONS
CONTEMPORARY MATHEMATICS
PLMun.
21ST Feb. 2015

Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

Exponential Functions
Logarithmic Functions
Exponential Functions as

Mathematical Models

5.1
Exponential Functions

Exponential Function

The function defined by

f ( x) b x

(b 0, b 1)

is called an exponential function with base b

and exponent x. Where base b is a constant,
b>0, b 1 and x is any real number.
The domain of f is the set of all real numbers.

Example
The exponential function with base 2 is the function

f ( x) 2 x
with domain ( , ).
The values of f(x) for selected values of x follow:
f (3) 23 8
3
f 23/2 2 21/2 2 2
2
f (0) 20 1

Example
The exponential function with base 2 is the function

f ( x) 2 x
with domain ( , ).
The values of f(x) for selected values of x follow:
1
f ( 1) 2
2
1

1
1
2
2/3
f 2 2/3 3
2
4
3

Laws of Exponents
Let a and b be positive numbers and let x

and y be real numbers. Then,

x
y
x y
1. b b b

bx
x y

b
2. b y
3. b
4.

x y

ab

x
x

b xy
a xb x

x
a
a

5. x
b
b

Examples
Let f(x) = 22x 1. Find the value of x for which f(x) = 16.

Solution
We want to solve the equation
22x 1 = 16 = 24
But this equation holds if and only if

5
giving x = .
2

2x 1 = 4

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = 2x.

Solution
First, recall that the domain of this function is the set of
real numbers.
Next, putting x = 0 gives y = 20 = 1, which is the y-intercept.
(There is no x-intercept, since there is no value of x for
which y = 0)

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = 2x.

Solution
Now, consider a few values for x:
x

1/32 1/16

1/8

1/4

1/2

16

32

Note that 2x approaches zero as x decreases without bound:

There is a horizontal asymptote at y = 0.

Furthermore, 2x increases without bound when x increases
without bound.
Thus, the range of f is the interval (0, ).

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = 2x.

Solution
Finally, sketch the graph:
y
4

f (x ) = 2 x

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = (1/2)x.

Solution
First, recall again that the domain of this function is the
set of real numbers.
Next, putting x = 0 gives y = (1/2)0 = 1, which is the
y-intercept.
(There is no x-intercept, since there is no value of x for
which y = 0)

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = (1/2)x.

Solution
Now, consider a few values for x:
x

32

16

1/2

1/4

1/8

1/16 1/32

Note that (1/2)x increases without bound when x decreases

without bound.
Furthermore, (1/2)x approaches zero as x increases without
bound: there is a horizontal asymptote at y = 0.
As before, the range of f is the interval (0, ).

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = (1/2)x.

Solution
Finally, sketch the graph:
y
4

f(x) = (1/2)x
2

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = (1/2)x.

Solution
Note the symmetry between the two functions:
y
4

f (x ) = 2 x

f(x) = (1/2)x
2

Properties of Exponential Functions

The exponential function y = bx (b > 0, b 1) has

the following properties:

1. Its domain is ( , ).
2. Its range is (0, ).
3. Its graph passes through the point (0, 1)
4. It is continuous on ( , ).
5. It is increasing on ( , ) if b > 1 and
decreasing on ( , ) if b < 1.

The Base e
Exponential functions to the base e, where e is an

irrational number whose value is 2.7182818, play an

important role in both theoretical and applied problems.
It can be shown that
m
1

e lim 1
m
m

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = ex.

Solution
Since ex > 0 it follows that the graph of y = ex is similar to the
graph of y = 2x.
Consider a few values for x:
x

0.05

0.14

0.37

2.72

7.39

20.09

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = ex.

Solution
Sketching the graph:
5

f (x ) = e x

1
3

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = ex.

Solution
Since ex > 0 it follows that 0 < 1/e < 1 and so
f(x) = ex = 1/ex = (1/e)x is an exponential function with
base less than 1.
Therefore, it has a graph similar to that of y = (1/2)x.
Consider a few values for x:
x
y

20.09 7.39

2.72

0.37

0.14

0.05

Examples
Sketch the graph of the exponential function f(x) = ex.

Solution
Sketching the graph:
5

1
3

f(x) = ex
1

5.2
Logarithmic Functions

Logarithms
Weve discussed exponential equations of the form

y = bx
(b > 0, b 1)
But what about solving the same equation for y?
You may recall that y is called the logarithm of x to the
base b, and is denoted logbx.

Logarithm of x to the base b

y = logbx if and only if x = by

(x > 0)

Examples
Solve log3x = 4 for x:

Solution
By definition, log3x = 4 implies x = 34 = 81.

Examples
Solve log164 = x for x:

Solution
log164 = x is equivalent to 4 = 16x = (42)x = 42x, or 41 = 42x,
from which we deduce that
2x 1
1
x
2

Examples
Solve logx8 = 3 for x:

Solution
By definition, we see that logx8 = 3 is equivalent to
8 23 x 3
x2

Logarithmic Notation

log x = log10 x
ln x = loge x

Common logarithm
Natural logarithm

Laws of Logarithms
If m and n are positive numbers, then

1. log b mn log b m log b n

m
2. log b log b m log b n
n
n
log
m
n logb m
b
3.

4. logb 1 0
5. log b b 1

Examples
Given that log 2 0.3010, log 3 0.4771, and log 5 0.6990,

use the laws of logarithms to find

log15 log 3 5
log 3 log 5
0.4771 0.6990
1.1761

Examples
Given that log 2 0.3010, log 3 0.4771, and log 5 0.6990,

use the laws of logarithms to find

log 7.5 log(15 / 2)
log(3 5 / 2)
log 3 log 5 log 2
0.4771 0.6990 0.3010
0.8751

Examples
Given that log 2 0.3010, log 3 0.4771, and log 5 0.6990,

use the laws of logarithms to find

log81 log 34
4 log 3
4(0.4771)
1.9084

Examples
Given that log 2 0.3010, log 3 0.4771, and log 5 0.6990,

use the laws of logarithms to find

log 50 log 5 10
log 5 log10
0.6990 1
1.6990

Examples
Expand and simplify the expression:

log 3 x 2 y 3 log 3 x 2 log 3 y 3

2 log 3 x 3log 3 y

Examples
Expand and simplify the expression:

x2 1
log 2 x log 2 x 2 1 log 2 2 x
2
log 2 x 2 1 x log 2 2
log 2 x 2 1 x

Examples
Expand and simplify the expression:

x2 x2 1
x 2 ( x 2 1)1/2
ln
ln
x
e
ex
ln x 2 ln( x 2 1)1/2 ln e x
1
2 ln x ln( x 2 1) x ln e
2
1
2 ln x ln( x 2 1) x
2

Examples
Use the properties of logarithms to solve the equation for x:

log 3 ( x 1) log 3 ( x 1) 1
x 1
log3
1
x 1
x 1 1
3 3
x 1
x 1 3( x 1)
x 1 3x 3
4 2x
x2

Law 2

Definition of
logarithms

Examples
Use the properties of logarithms to solve the equation for x:

log x log(2 x 1) log 6

log x log(2 x 1) log 6 0
x (2 x 1)
log
0
6
x (2 x 1)
100 1
6
x (2 x 1) 6

Laws 1 and 2
Definition of
logarithms

2x2 x 6 0
(2 x 3)( x 2) 0
x2

3
is out of
2
the domain of log x ,
so it is discarded.
x

Logarithmic Function
The function defined by

f ( x ) log b x

(b 0, b 1)

is called the logarithmic function with base b.

The domain of f is the set of all positive numbers.

Properties of Logarithmic Functions

The logarithmic function

y = logbx
(b > 0, b 1)
has the following properties:
1. Its domain is (0, ).
2. Its range is ( , ).
3. Its graph passes through the point (1, 0).
4. It is continuous on (0, ).
5. It is increasing on (0, ) if b > 1
and decreasing on (0, ) if b < 1.

Example
Sketch the graph of the function y = ln x.

Solution
We first sketch the graph of y = ex.
The required graph is
the mirror image of the
y
graph of y = ex with
respect to the line y = x:

y = ex

y=x

y = ln x
1
1

Properties Relating
Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

Properties relating ex and ln x:

eln x = x
ln ex = x

(x > 0)
(for any real number x)

Examples
Solve the equation 2ex + 2 = 5.

Solution
Divide both sides of the equation by 2 to obtain:
5
e x 2 2.5
2
Take the natural logarithm of each side of the equation

and solve:

ln e x 2 ln 2.5
( x 2) ln e ln 2.5
x 2 ln 2.5
x 2 ln 2.5
x 1.08

Examples
Solve the equation 5 ln x + 3 = 0.

Solution
Add 3 to both sides of the equation and then divide both
sides of the equation by 5 to obtain:
5ln x 3
3
ln x 0.6
5
and so:
eln x e 0.6
x e 0.6
x 0.55

5.3
Exponential Functions as Mathematical Models

1.
2.
3.

Growth of bacteria
Radioactive decay
Assembly time

Applied Example: Growth of Bacteria

In a laboratory, the number of bacteria in a culture grows

according to

Q (t ) Q0e kt

where Q0 denotes the number of bacteria initially present

in the culture, k is a constant determined by the strain of
bacteria under consideration, and t is the elapsed time
measured in hours.
Suppose 10,000 bacteria are present initially in the culture
and 60,000 present two hours later.
How many bacteria will there be in the culture at the end
of four hours?

Applied Example: Growth of Bacteria

Solution
We are given that Q(0) = Q0 = 10,000, so Q(t) = 10,000ekt.
At t = 2 there are 60,000 bacteria, so Q(2) = 60,000, thus:
Q (t ) Q0e kt
60,000 10,000e 2 k
e2 k 6
Taking the natural logarithm on both sides we get:

ln e 2 k ln 6
2k ln 6
k 0.8959
So, the number of bacteria present at any time t is given by:

Q (t ) 10,000e0.8959 t

Applied Example: Growth of Bacteria

Solution
At the end of four hours (t = 4), there will be
Q (4) 10,000e0.8959(4)
360,029
or 360,029 bacteria.

Applied Example: Radioactive Decay

Radioactive substances decay exponentially.
For example, the amount of radium present at any time t

obeys the law

Q(t ) Q0e kt

(0 t )

where Q0 is the initial amount present and k is a suitable

positive constant.
The half-life of a radioactive substance is the time
required for a given amount to be reduced by one-half.
The half-life of radium is approximately 1600 years.
Suppose initially there are 200 milligrams of pure radium.
a. Find the amount left after t years.
b. What is the amount after 800 years?

Applied Example: Radioactive Decay

Solution
a. Find the amount left after t years.
The initial amount is 200 milligrams, so Q(0) = Q0 = 200, so
Q(t) = 200ekt
The half-life of radium is 1600 years, so Q(1600) = 100, thus
100 200e 1600 k
1
e 1600 k
2

Applied Example: Radioactive Decay

Solution
a. Find the amount left after t years.
Taking the natural logarithm on both sides yields:
1
2
1
1600k ln e ln
2
1
1600k ln
2
1
1
k
ln 0.0004332
1600 2
ln e 1600 k ln

Therefore, the amount of radium left after t years is:

Q (t ) 200e 0.0004332 t

Applied Example: Radioactive Decay

Solution
b. What is the amount after 800 years?
In particular, the amount of radium left after 800 years is:
Q (800) 200e 0.0004332(800)
141.42
or approximately 141 milligrams.

Applied Example: Assembly Time

The Camera Division of Eastman Optical produces a single

lens reflex camera.

Eastmans training department determines that after
completing the basic training program, a new, previously
inexperienced employee will be able to assemble
Q (t ) 50 30e 0.5t
model F cameras per day, t months after the employee starts
work on the assembly line.
a. How many model F cameras can a new employee assemble
per day after basic training?
b. How many model F cameras can an employee with one
month of experience assemble per day?
c. How many model F cameras can the average experienced
employee assemble per day?

Applied Example: Assembly Time

Solution
a. The number of model F cameras a new employee can
assemble is given by
Q (0) 50 30 20
b. The number of model F cameras that an employee with

1, 2, and 6 months of experience can assemble per day is

given by
Q (1) 50 30e 0.5(1) 31.80

or about 32 cameras per day.

c. As t increases without bound, Q(t) approaches 50.
Hence, the average experienced employee can be expected
to assemble 50 model F cameras per day.

End of
Chapter