Latest Articles (View All)

Demystifying the Natural Logarithm (ln)

Posted 05.20.2007, under Math

After understanding the exponential function our next target is the natural logarithm.

Given how the natural log is described in math books, there’s little “natural” about it: it’s defined as the inverse of e^x, a strange enough exponent already.

But there’s a fresh, intuitive explanation: The natural log gives you the time needed to reach a certain level of growth.

Suppose you have …

Crowd Favorites

Math & Numbers

  • Mental math shortcuts, adding 1-100
  • Understanding exponents and the natural log
  • Div, Curl, Flux, Gradient and other Vector Calculus topics

Programming & Web Development

  • Site speedups with HTTP caching, gzip compression
  • Understanding Rails, Web debugging, and Javascrtipt
  • Swap bytes with XOR, byte order, unicode

Business, Writing & Communication



Like it? Try All articles, RSS Feed or Email Subscription | Idea or suggestion? Contact me
copyright © 2007 Kalid Azad