Confusing log[sub]e[/sub],log[sub]10[/sub] & log (1 Viewer)

[Drongoski]

If I'm not mistaken, Cambridge 3U (Pender et al) uses log to represent log_e whereas the almost universal convention is for log to represent log₁₀. This is unfortunate from an otherwise outstanding text. Notice calculators also use log for the common log, log₁₀.

Any comments ?

 

[PC]

I agree. In fact I am very old fashioned. I use log for log₁₀ and I use ln for log_e. And insist on points of inflection! And sulphur, not sulfur!

 

[MC Squidge]

yea i use ln for log base e and log for log base 10. i think most textbooks do it that way

 

[jet]

I agree. In fact I am very old fashioned. I use log for log₁₀ and I use ln for log_e. And insist on points of inflection! And sulphur, not sulfur!

Exactly! +1

 

[Drongoski]

I agree. In fact I am very old fashioned. I use log for log₁₀ and I use ln for log_e. And insist on points of inflection! And sulphur, not sulfur!

Old foggies like 'us' are a dying breed. I too insist on 'practise' (verb) vs US usage 'practice', 'owing to' vs 'due to' as in "due to rain, I was late", 'every man is entitled to their opinion', (how does 'their' fit in with a singular?) etc. People don't bother to spell anymore! Anyway, the beauty about democracy is, if the vast majority decides to pervert 'correct' usage, then the 'wrong' becomes the new 'right' and vice versa. Ha ha!

 

[Trebla]

If I'm not mistaken, Cambridge 3U (Pender et al) uses log to represent log_e whereas the almost universal convention is for log to represent log₁₀. This is unfortunate from an otherwise outstanding text. Notice calculators also use log for the common log, log₁₀.

Any comments ?

Actually, "log x" is generally referred to as the natural logarithm (base e), especially in scientific contexts. Many university professors use that notation. Most people would use "ln x" for base e (the 'l' is for log and 'n' is for natural) and "log₁₀x" for base 10 to remove the confusion. Very few people actually consider "log x" as the base 10 logarithmic function. In fact, a logarithm of base 10 is very rarely used at all, most applications of logarithms use the natural log...lol

 

[Uncle]

I agree. In fact I am very old fashioned. I use log for log₁₀ and I use ln for log_e. And insist on points of inflection! And sulphur, not sulfur!

Same, and lecturers say 'log' even though they still mean ln.

 

[Iruka]

Old foggies like 'us' are a dying breed. I too insist on 'practise' (verb) vs US usage 'practice', 'owing to' vs 'due to' as in "due to rain, I was late", 'every man is entitled to their opinion', (how does 'their' fit in with a singular?) etc. People don't bother to spell anymore! Anyway, the beauty about democracy is, if the vast majority decides to pervert 'correct' usage, then the 'wrong' becomes the new 'right' and vice versa. Ha ha!

Well, we don't hither or thither anymore, do we? Or use thee and thou.

 

[Affinity]

If I'm not mistaken, Cambridge 3U (Pender et al) uses log to represent log_e whereas the almost universal convention is for log to represent log₁₀. This is unfortunate from an otherwise outstanding text. Notice calculators also use log for the common log, log₁₀.

Any comments ?

0. Look around more and beyong highschool texts before you make a judgment
1. Log means log base e more than log base 10.. Atleast in most mathematics texts.
2. base 10 logs are only used in things like the ritcher scale/pH scale now..
3. Traditional does not mean good. One should understand the reason behind things, base 10 logs were important because they facilitated calculation of products and quotients, now computers can do this faster than using the tables, so there's no point to keep base 10 logs anymore.
4. Notation is just notation... Dig up a Russian maths paper or a japanese journal and you will get completely different notations.. the ideas are what is important.

 

[Iruka]

Pender does maths like a mathematician, rather than a school teacher.

So he uses "log" to mean the exponential logarithm, starts counting from zero,... etc. You'll also find that the topics he thinks shouldn't be in the syllabus (eg, probability) are shunted off to the end of the textbook and given pretty crap treatment.

 

[Templar]

Pender does maths like a mathematician, rather than a school teacher.

Which is why he is viewed more favourably by mathematicians than other school teachers. There is also strong agreement between statisticians that the "statistics" and probability taught at high school is not doing stats justice.

is base e. There is virtually no reason why base 10 (or any other base) should be used, considering you can change base easily and the importance of base e in relation to calculus.

 

[Iruka]

The statistics done at school is horrible. And it seems to be taking over the world at the moment - just look at the suggested new syllabus.

The main problem is that, however useful, relevant and abounding with real world applications statistics is, students can't do anything beyond descriptive statistics untill they have learned a lot more calculus.