MATH 1201-01 College Algebra - AY2024-T3

Computer Science Department: University of the People

Unit 5: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Yazali Kumar
March 8, 2024
TASK 1. (i). Exponential and logarithmic functions are two closely related types of functions
that are widely used in mathematics, science, and various other fields.

An exponential function is a function in the form f(x) = ax, where a is a positive constant
called the base, and x is the variable or exponent. The main characteristic of an exponential
function is that the variable x appears as an exponent.

In this function, when a > 1, the function grows exponentially (increasing rapidly), When 0 <
a < 1, the function decays exponentially (decreasing rapidly).

 Domain: The domain of an exponential function f(x) = ax is the set of all real numbers
(-∞, ∞), as the exponent x can take any real value.
 Range: The range of an exponential function depends on the value of the base a:

1. If a > 1, the range is the set of all positive real numbers (0, ∞).
2. If 0 < a < 1, the range is the set of all positive real numbers (0, ∞).

A logarithmic function is the inverse of an exponential function. It is a function in the form

f(x)=logb(x), where b is a positive constant called the base, and x is the variable or the value
whose logarithm is being calculated. Example f(x) = log2(x)

Key Factors:

 a: The base, which is a positive constant.

 x: The variable or the value whose logarithm is being calculated.

Domain: The domain of a logarithmic function y = loga(x) is the set of all positive real
numbers (0, ∞), as the argument x must be positive for the logarithm to be defined.

Range: The range of a logarithmic function depends on the base a:

 If a > 1, the range is the set of all real numbers (-∞, ∞).
 If 0 < a < 1, the range is a subset of real numbers.

Relationship between Exponential and Logarithmic Functions: Exponential and

logarithmic functions are inverse functions of each other. This means that if y = a^x, then x =
log_a(y). In other words, the logarithmic function undoes the exponential function, and vice
versa.

This relationship can be expressed as: loga(ax) = x a(loga(x)) = x (where x > 0)

Exponential and logarithmic functions are fundamental in various fields, including physics,
chemistry, biology, finance, and computer science, among others. They are used to model
growth and decay processes, radioactive decay, compound interest, pH calculations, and
many other phenomena.
(ii). Exponential, logarithmic, and power functions are all linked but different types of
functions. They grow in different ways and have their own unique properties. Let's use math
examples and plots to look at the differences between them.

1. Exponential Function: An exponential function has the form f(x) = ax, where a is a
positive constant called the base, and x is the variable or exponent.

Example: f(x) = 2x

The graph of an exponential function with a base greater than 1 exhibits rapid growth as x
increases. It has a horizontal asymptote at y = 0 and no x-intercept unless a = 1.

2. Logarithmic Function: A logarithmic function is the inverse of an exponential

function and has the form f(x) = log_a(x), where a is a positive constant called the
base, and x is the variable or the value whose logarithm is being calculated.

Example: f(x) = log2(x)

The graph of a logarithmic function with a base greater than 1 has a vertical asymptote at x =
0 and a horizontal asymptote at y = 0. It has no x-intercept but has a y-intercept at (1, 0).

Graph:
 3. Power Function: A power function has the form f(x) = x^n, where n is a constant
called the exponent or power, and x is the variable.

Example: f(x) = x3

The graph of a power function with an even integer exponent (n = 2, 4, 6, ...) has a U-shape
or a V-shape, depending on whether n is positive or negative, respectively. If n is an odd
integer (n = 1, 3, 5, ...), the graph has a continuous curve that passes through the origin (0, 0).

Graph:

Differences in Growth Patterns:

 Exponential functions exhibit rapid growth or decay, with the rate of change
increasing as x increases or decreases, respectively.
 Logarithmic functions exhibit slow growth or decay, with the rate of change
decreasing as x increases or decreases, respectively.
 Power functions with even integer exponents exhibit symmetric growth or decay,
while odd integer exponents result in continuous curves passing through the origin.

(iii). If you want to show that a function grows exponentially, you need to look at its rate of
change and how it changes over time or in relation to an input variable. Here are some
important signs and ways to find out if a function grows exponentially:

1. Rate of Change: With an exponential growth function, the rate of change changes
over time or based on the variable that is being changed. This means that as the input
variable goes up, the function gets faster and faster.
2. Constant Ratio: When exponential growth functions are used, the ratio between each
set of output numbers stays the same. This ratio that stays the same is what the
exponential function is built on
 3. Equation Form: Exponential growth functions typically have the form f(x) = a * bx,
where a is a constant (the initial value), b is a constant greater than 1 (the base or
growth factor), and x is the input variable.
4. Exponential growth functions are often used to model phenomena such as population
growth, compound interest, radioactive decay, and other processes that involve a
constant rate of change over equal intervals of time or input.

(iv). Between exponential and logarithmic functions, exponential functions grow faster than
logarithmic functions.

Explanation: Exponential functions grow faster than logarithmic functions because the rate of
change of an exponential function increases as the input variable increases, leading to a rapid
and accelerating growth pattern. In contrast, the rate of change of a logarithmic function
decreases as the input variable increases, resulting in a slower and more gradual growth
pattern.

(v). As you can see, the values of the exponential function increase much more rapidly than
the values of the logarithmic function as x increases.

Task 2. (i). log6(216x/1296x)logx6

Using the order of operations we simplify the bracket first.

(216x/1296x)

(63)x/(64)x = 63x/64x = 63x-4x = 6-x

log6(216x/1296x) = log6(6-x) = -x

Now we simplify the second part

If logab = (1/logba)

Substituting x = logx6 = (1/log66) = 1

log6(216x/1296x)logx6 = -x * 1 = -x

(ii). Loge(x+1)2 + loge(2x – 1)3 – loge(x)2 – loge(2x – 1)4 + 6log(x+1)

= 2⋅loge(x+1)+3⋅loge(2x−1)−2⋅loge(x)−4⋅loge(2x−1)+6⋅log(x+1)

= (2+6)⋅loge(x+1)+(3−4)⋅loge(2x−1)−2⋅loge(x)

=8⋅loge(x+1)−loge(2x−1)−2⋅loge(x)

We there fore have the condensed form of the expression as

8⋅loge(x+1)−loge(2x−1)−2⋅loge(x)8⋅loge(x+1)−loge(2x−1)−2⋅loge(x).

(iii). To solve the equation 10e(2x-3) = 15e(5x-7), we need to take the natural logarithm of both
sides and then simplify the resulting equation.

Given equation: 10e(2x-3) = 15e(5x-7),

Step 1: Take the natural logarithm of both sides. ln(10e(2x-3)) = ln(15e{5x-7})

Step 2: Use the property ln(ab) = b ln(a) to simplify the expressions.

ln(10) + (2x-3)ln(e) = ln(15) + (5x-7)ln(e)

Step 3: Substitute ln(e) = 1 and simplify the equation.

ln(10) + 2x - 3 = ln(15) + 5x - 7

Step 4: Rearrange the terms and combine the constants on one side.

5x - 2x = ln(15) - ln(10) + 7 - 3 3x = ln(15) - ln(10) + 4

Step 5: Divide both sides by 3 to find the value of x. x = (ln(15) - ln(10) + 4) / 3

Therefore, the solution to the equation 10e(2x-3) = 15e(5x-7) is x = (ln(15) - ln(10) + 4) / 3.

Task. 3(i) To create the table illustrating the yearly increase in cancer cells up to the year
2023, we can use the given information that cancer cell growth increases by 2% every year,
and the initial number of cells in the year 2018 was 232.26 units.

Let:

Initial year Cancer = Y

New cancer unit = x

Therefore New cancer unit = Previous year cancer + (previous year cancer * 0.02)

The table below shows the yearly increase in cancer cell count from 2018 to 2023, with each
year's value calculated by adding 2% to the previous year's value.

Year Cancer Cell Count (units)

2018 232.26
2019 236.91
2020 241.64
2021 246.48
2022 251.41
2023 256.43

ii). After considering the values in the table above, we can observe that the growth pattern
follows an exponential function.
The mathematical function that represents this growth pattern is:

y = a * (1 + b)x

Where:

 y is the cancer cell count at a given time t

 a is the initial cancer cell count (in this case, 232.26 units in 2018)
 b is the annual growth rate (in this case, 0.02 or 2%)
 x is the number of years elapsed since the initial year (2018)

where :

a = the initial value of the cancer cell counts 232.26

b = 2% which is the rate of growth per year of cancer cells

x, Time = The number of years after the initial year which represents the exponent

(1+b) = this is the constant in the equation, this represents the growth factor for each year

(iii) Using the above mathematical function we can project the level of cancer cells in 10
years, assuming growth rate stays at 2% per year.

Using the function y=abx we can factor in our variables

y = a * (1 + b)x

a = 232.26

b = 0.02

x = 10

substituting the values ;

y = 232.26*(1 + 0.02)10

y = 232.26(1.02)10

y = 232.26*1.2189

y= 283.123
Therefore, if the cancer cell growth rate continues at 2% per year, the projected level of
cancer cells in the animal after 10 years (in 2028) would be approximately 283.01 units.