Logarithm tricks
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✎ This article/section is a stub — some half-sorted notes, not necessarily checked, not necessarily correct. Feel free to ignore, or tell me about it.
properties of logs
Change of log base
If you want to work with an arbitrary base, but you have a log function of which you cannot change the base (e.g. on a calculator), then a useful property is:
logw v = ( logh v ) / ( logh w )
where
- w is the base you want
- h is the base you have (which you don't even have to know the value of, just has to be consistent just has to be consistent between the two uses)
- v is the value you want the logw of
Say you want the log-base-2 of 256
- ...but are working with base 10
log2(256) = ( log10(256) ) / ( log10(2) ) ≈ 2.40824 / 0.30103 ≈ 8
- ...or are working with base e
log2(256) = ( loge(256) ) / ( loge(2) ) ≈ 5.54518 / 0.69315 ≈ 8
addition is multiplication
logb(x*y) = logb x + logb y
subtraction is division
logb(x/y) = logb x - logb y
other
Decibels
Decibels are logarithms applied to ratios of power.
Which turns out to be rather useful idea.