What would be the correct notation of antilogarithm if I would also like to specify the base?

369 Views Asked by At

In my high school days, my teacher told me that $\mathrm{antilog}( x)$ is the same as $10^x$ and $e^x$ is the same as $\exp x$. While the latter is true, I can't say for sure whether the former is true. After looking it up on Google, I didn't find a single source claiming $\mathrm{antilog} (x) \equiv 10^x$.

So if what I think is correct, how would I specify the base while using antilogarithm.

For example : We usually write the base $10$ logarithm as $\log x$ when the context is clear. However, we can clarify this notation as, $\log_{10} x$, how can I make base $10$ antilogarithm specific and clear the same way? I'm asking for a correct notation.

My ideas : Writing $4^x$ as $\log^{-1}_4 x$

But I'm looking for something like $\mathrm{antilog}_4 (x) $, is this a correct a notation?

1

There are 1 best solutions below

0
On

Most people will probably be able to guess what you mean by $\operatorname{antilog}_4(x)$, but in general it's a really bad idea to use notation that doesn't fall in either of these categories

  1. Universally accepted - i.e. people will think you're mad if you define what $a+b$ means (especially if you define it to mean something different from what it usually means - the exception being if you're writing an introductory text and want to make a point about notation)

  2. Generally understood to mean a specific thing among anybody that might get to read your text - e.g. at the math institute of my university $\log$ was generally understood to mean (what we called) the natural logarithm (i.e. the logarithm with base $e$), so for homework-style papers that was likely ever to be read by our professors or fellow students, it made sense not to define that.

  3. Something you've defined

As my example in group 2 shows, you have to be careful before deeming some notation to be universally accepted, this particular subject can give rise to many examples, another being $\lg x$, which (as you can read from the comments to the question) some use to mean $\log_2 x$ and others to mean $\log_{10} x$, the only two bits of notation I think (and that will probably attract comments telling me I'm wrong) you can be fairly sure is universally understood in this area is $b^x$ and $\log_b x$.

Another thing brought up in the comments is that notation for inverses of functions is not as universally understood as one might think, $f^{-1}(x)$ might to some mean the inverse of $f(x)$ and to others $\frac{1}{f(x)}$.

But what do you need this for, is there any reason to not just write $4^x$.