log
Units & Measurements abbreviation · Math
| Stands for | Logarithm |
|---|---|
| Categories | Units & Measurements |
log stands for Logarithm, a math abbreviation.
The inverse of exponentiation: log_b(x) is the power to which base b must be raised to give x, so log₁₀ 1000 = 3. Without a written base, log means base 10 in school math and engineering but the natural log (base e) in much of higher math and programming.
Example: Since 10³ = 1000, log 1000 = 3.
Usage notes
John Napier published logarithms in 1614 to simplify multiplication, and slide rules were built on them. Logarithmic scales measure earthquake magnitude, sound in decibels and acidity as pH. In most programming languages, including Python, JavaScript and C, log() is the natural logarithm, a common source of bugs.