logarithm
nounUK /ˈlɒɡ.ə.ɹɪ.ð(ə)m/ · US /ˈlɑ.ɡə.ɹɪ.ð(ə)m/
Etymology From New Latin logarithmus, coined by Scottish mathematician John Napier from Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos, “ratio, proportion”) and ἀριθμός (arithmós, “number”). Napier set a geometric progression (a sequence of equal ratios) against an arithmetic progression (a sequence of equal differences), so that the logarithm of a number counts the ratios separating it from a starting value, turning multiplication into addition.
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Mathematics, Sciences For a number x, the exponent by which a given base number must be raised in order to obtain the power x. Written log _bx. For example, log ₁₀1000=3 because 10³=1000 and log ₂16=4 because 2⁴=16.
- For a currency which uses denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, etc., each jump in the base-10 logarithm from one denomination to the next higher is either 0.3010 or 0.3979.
- Synonyms
- log
- Derived terms
- antilogarithm, binary logarithm, Briggsian logarithm, Briggs logarithm, cologarithm, common logarithm, dilogarithm, log, logarithmal, logarithmancy, logarithmic, logarithmisation, logarithmise, logarithmize, mesologarithm, Naperian logarithm, Napierian logarithm, natural logarithm, polylogarithm, superlogarithm, ternary logarithm, trilogarithm
- Related terms
- successor, + =, + +... =, − =, × =, × ×... =, ÷ =, Or sometimes, =, √ =, log(base) =, ln, characteristic, mantissa