Skip to main content

logarithm

mathematical process by which an exponent is acquired
by BLED FOR DAYS December 3, 2002
mugGet the logarithm mug.

algorithm

Bush: How does Al Gore get his groove on?
Dick: I don't know...I thought I shot him.
Condi: The Algorithm! (gaptoothed snicker)
by Kanav April 16, 2006
mugGet the algorithm mug.

Algorithm

Word used by programmers when they do not want to explain what they did.
"And so this is the algorithm I used to make Google search..."
by H4k0rz September 21, 2018
mugGet the Algorithm mug.

TOILET PAPER ALGORITHM

An equation that suggests that 12 new normal-sized rolls are equal to 24 of the recently reduced normal-sized rolls.
Marketing placed the TOILET PAPER ALGORITHM "12 = 24 regular rolls" four times on the packaging of my $17 package of paper towels.
by genniex March 7, 2010
mugGet the TOILET PAPER ALGORITHM mug.

Logarithm

A process of first aid used to help someone who has tripped over a log.
"Oh no I tripped over a log 4 to the base 10!"

"Quickly use the logarithm technique!"
by TheAxis October 26, 2008
mugGet the Logarithm mug.

Taco Bell Algorithm

The term used for any type of Algorithm that is used compute a non-predicatble random value.

The creation of a Taco Bell Algorithm would like employ the use of Ghetto Engineering Tactics
A scheduling algorithm used to compute the random events that can occur during the course of day is said to be a Taco Bell Algorithm.
by Smitty5k August 10, 2005
mugGet the Taco Bell Algorithm mug.

Logarithm

MATHEMATICS: The exponent, or power, to which 10 has to be raised to express any positive real number.

Logarithm is derived from Greek logos "reckoning, ratio," and arithmos "number."
Since I can't make a nice table, let's use the following format: Base, Exponent, Expression, Result such that in line 1, Base = 10, Exponent = -3, Expression = 10^-3, Result = 0.001. We obtain,

10, -3,10^-3, 0.001 (or 1/1000) (line 1)

10, -2, 10^-2, 0.01 (or 1/100)

10, -1, 10^-1, 0.1 (or 1/10)

10, 0, 10^0, 1

10, 1, 10^1, 10

10, 2, 10^2, 100 (10 squared)

10, 3, 10^3, 1,000 (10 cubed)

And so forth.

Any positive real number can be expressed as the product of 10 raised to any real number; for example 100,000 can be written as 100 x 1000 = 10^2 x 10^3 = 10^5. Notice that the exponents are additive. It is easy to show that for division the exponents subtract.

Before the advent of hand-held electronic calculators, logarithms and the use of log tables reduced calculating time by converting long-hand multiplication into an addition process and long-hand division into a subtraction process where the result was accurate to three significant figures. One would just look up the logarithms of two or more numbers that were being multiplied, sum the logarithms, and then look up the corresponding number.

Another benefit of using logarithms is that curvilinear data points can be converted into linear data points, and the latter is easier to model with a first-order equation derived using either graph paper or linear regression analysis.
mugGet the Logarithm mug.

Share this definition

Sign in to vote

We'll email you a link to sign in instantly.

Or

Check your email

We sent a link to

Open your email