Before Calculus
Exponential and Logarithm Functions
S M Mahmudul Hasan
Department of Mathematics
Jahangirnagar University
September 17, 2020
S M Mahmudul Hasan Calculus of Single Variable September 17, 2020 1 / 17
Chapter 0.5
Exponential and Logarithm
Functions
S M Mahmudul Hasan Calculus of Single Variable September 17, 2020 2 / 17
Exponential Functions
Definition A function of the form f (x) = bx , where b > 0, is called
an exponential function with base b.
1x
Example f (x) = 2x, f (x) = 2 , f (x) = π x
Note
? An exponential function has a constant base and variable exponent.
Thus, functions such as f (x) = x2 and f (x) = xπ would not be
classified as exponential functions, since they have a variable base and
a constant exponent.
S M Mahmudul Hasan Calculus of Single Variable September 17, 2020 3 / 17
Three General Forms Exponential Functions
The graph passes through (0, 1) because b0 = 1.
If b > 1, the value of bx increases as x increases. From left to right of the the
graph of y = bx , the values of bx increase indefinitely. Observing from right
to left: the x-axis is a horizontal asymptote of the graph of bx .
If 0 < b < 1, the value of bx decreases as x increases. Traversing the graph
of y = bx from left to right: the x-axis is a horizontal asymptote of the graph
of bx . Traversing the graph from right to left, the values of bx increase
indefinitely.
If b = 1, then the value of bx is constant.
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The Family of Exponential Functions
The family y = bx (b > 0)
This figure illustrates that the graph of y = ( 1b )x is the reflection of the graph
of y = bx about the y-axis.
This is because replacing x by −x in the equation y = bx yields
y = b−x = ( 1b )x
For b > 1, the larger the base b, the more rapidly the function f (x) = bx
increases for x > 0.
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Domain and Range of Exponential Functions
If b > 0, then f (x) = bx is defined and has a real value for every real value
of x, so the natural domain of every exponential function is (−∞, +∞)
If b > 0 and b 6= 1, then as noted earlier the graph of y = bx increases
indefinitely as it is traversed in one direction and decreases toward zero but
never reaches zero as it is traversed in the other direction. This implies that
the range of f (x) = bx is (0, +∞).
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Example of Finding Domain and Range
Sketch the graph of the function f (x) = 1 − 2x and find its domain and
range.
Solution
The dashed line in the third part of the figure is a horizontal asymptote for
the graph.
Domain of f : (−∞, +∞)
Range of f : (−∞, 1).
S M Mahmudul Hasan Calculus of Single Variable September 17, 2020 7 / 17
Natural Exponential Function
Among all possible bases for exponential functions there is one partic-
ular base that plays a special bx (b > 0) That base, denoted by
roleyin= calculus.
The family
the letter e, is a certain irrational number whose value to six decimal
places is
e ≈ 2.718282.
This base is important in calculus because b = e is the only base for
which the slope of the tangent line to the curve y = bx at any point P
on the curve is equal to the y-coordinate at P .
Example The tangent line to y = ex at (0, 1) has Slope 1.
The tangent line to the graph of y = ex at (0, 1) has slope 1.
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Natural Exponential Function (cont...)
Definition The function f (x) = ex is called the natural exponential
function.
The natural exponential function is sometimes written as exp(x)
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Logarithm Functions
Recall from algebra that a logarithm is an exponent. More precisely, if b > 0
and b 6= 1, then for a positive value of x the expression
logb x
(read “the logarithm to the base b of x”) denotes that exponent to which b
must be raised to produce x.
Example
1
log10 100 = 2, log10 ( 1000 ) = −3, log2 16 = 4, logb 1 = 0, logb b = 1
102 = 100 10−3 = 1/1000 24 = 16 b0 = 1 b1 = b
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Logarithm Functions (cont...)
Definition The function f (x) = logb x is called the logarithmic func-
tion with base b.
Logarithms with base 10 are called common logarithms and are often
written without explicit reference to the base. Thus, the symbol log x
generally denotes log10 x.
Logarithmic functions can also be viewed as inverses of exponential
functions.
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Logarithmic functions are inverses of exponential functions
Theorem If b > 0 and b 6= 1, then bx and logb x are inverse functions.
The graphs of y = bx and y = logb x are reflections of one another
about the line y = x (for the case where b > 1).
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The Family y = logb x(b > 1)
The family y = logb x(b > 1).
The graphs of y = logb x for various values of b pass through the point
(1, 0).
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Natural Logarithms
Definition The most important logarithms in applications are those
with base e. These are called natural logarithms because the function
loge x is the inverse of the natural exponential function ex .
It is standard to denote the natural logarithm of x by ln x (read “ell en
of x”), rather than loge x.
Example
ln 1 = 0, ln e = 1, ln( 1e ) = −1, ln(e2 ) = 2
e0 = 1 e1 = e e−1 = 1
e e2 = e2
In general, y = ln x if and only if x = ey .
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Properties of Logarithmic and Exponential Functions
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Reference
Howard Anton, Irl C. Bivens, Stephen Davis
Calculus, 10th Edition
Wiley (2012), 52-59. ISBN: 9781118404003.
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That’s All for Today!!!
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