Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

4.1: INTRODUCTION TO EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION

An exponential function involves a constant (base) raised to a variable power (exponent) x, t and so
on.

DEFINITION 4.1.1(a): Exponential function with base a

The function f is defined by
y  f  x  a x

where a  0 , a  1 and the exsponent x is any real number is called an exponential function
with base a.

TAKRIF 4.1.1(b): Exponential function with base e (2.71828...)

The function f is defined by
y  f  x  e x

where e  2.71828... , and the exponent x is any real numbers is called an exponential
function with base e. or natural exponential function.

Example
1
Determine whether the given functions are an exponential function or not. If it is, then determine the
base for each function.
a) y  2x b) g  t   3t c) y  t 3 t

d) y  11 x / 3 e) y  e 0.05 x f) h x    0.5

1.2 x

g) g ( x )  2.7186 x
4.1.2 SKETCHING AN EXPONENTIAL GRAPH.

Let say y  ax and a  1 for    x   . Therefore the graph for y  ax can be sketch by replacing

several values for x.

a) If a  2 . Then the exponential function would be y  2x

1
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

Build a table with several values of x, and find the corresponding values for y:

x -2 -1 0 1 2
x
y2

Based on the table, we got several points that resides on the graph.
Therefore, we just plot all the points and draw a curve that connects all those points.

4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

1 1 x
b) Now let say a  . The exponential function would be y   
2 2

Try to sketch the graph for this function.

i. Build a table:
x -2 -1 0 1 2
x
1
y 
2

ii. Based on the table, plot all of the points and draw a curve:

2
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

c) If the exponential function has the base e. Where y  x , therefore

Build a table:
x -2 -1 0 1 2
y  ex

Therefore the graph would be:

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

d) For the exponential function y   x

x -2 -1 0 1 2
x
ye
And the graph would be:

3
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

4.1.3 PROPERTIES OF EXPONENTIAL FUNCTIONS

If a and b is any positive real numbers    and x, y is any rational number, therefore

ax
Property 1: a x a y  a x  y Property 2:  a x y
y
a

Simplify Simplify
Exampl  7 3 xExampl

a) 32x . 34 = a)  
5 
7 
e 2: e 3:
2x+2
-x
b) 5 . 5 = x
b) 3 =
x-1
3
3p r 2
2 2 3k
c)      c) 
5 5 39

Property 3: a x  y  a xy Property 4:  ab  x  a xb x
Simplify Simplify

4
Example Example
4: 5:
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

a)  5 3 x  3  a)   4 5  t 

b)  2 2 x 3  x  b)   7   3 
x y


x 1
ax a x 
Property 5:    x
a
Property 6:
b b ax
Simplify Simplify
5 t
3
a)   a) 5-(x+1) =
Example
2 Example

b)6 :  7: -1.2 =

y
2
x
 b) 2.5
9 

Property 7: a x / y  y a x Property 8: a 0  1
Simplify Simplify

Exercise Exercise
a)8:9 3/2 = a)9:-20 =
b) 6.5 ½ = b) 23450 =
c) 12 -2/3 = c) e 0 =

Property 9: a1  a

Contoh
a) 161 =
9:
b) 2.7181 =

5
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

4.2 EXPONENTIAL FUCTION vs LOGARITHMIC FUNCTION

The exponential functions describe a value that is obtained by raising a constant to the power of a
variable/unknown.

For example: y = 2x ,
When the input x = 3 , therefore the output  y = 23 = 8

Here, the variable y is a dependant variable (output), meanwhile x is an independant variable(input).

Alternatively, the above equation can be switch by making x as thedependant variable (output) and y as
the independant variable (input).
This equation is known as the logarithmic function.

Therefore, the above equation; y = 2x can be change into a logartihmic equation;

x = log 2 y

Here, if the input y=8 therefore, output x = log 2 8 (2 to the power of what (x) equal to 8) -->
therefore; x = 3

CONCLUSION:
EXPONENT LOGARITHMIC
Can be written as

y = ax
where a > 0 and a ≠ 1
x = log a y
where a > 0 and a ≠ 1

Rewrite the following equations in a logarithmic form.

Example
a) 49 = 72 b) 25 = 32
11:

6
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

c) y = 7x d) 0.5 -3q = p

e) 42a = b

Rewrite the following equations in an exponential form.

Example
12:
a) 1 = log 27 3 b) log 2 32 = 5
3

b) log a 4 = b d) log 4 64 = p

4.3 INTRODUCTION TO LOGARITHMIC FUNCTION

7
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

The logarithmic function with base a, where a>0 and a ≠ 1is denoted by loga and defined by;

x = log a y
If and only if ax = y.
For example:
i) y  log 2 x (if a = 2)
ii) y  log5 x (if a = 5)

DEFINITION 4.3.1(a): Logarithmic Function with base 10

Logarithms to the base 10 are called common logarithms . The subscript 10 is usually omitted from
the notation. For example:
i) y  log10 x can be written as y  log x .
ii) However, y  log3 x cannot be written as y  log x

DEFINITION 4.3.2(b): Logarithmic Function with base e

Logarithms to the base e. are called natural logarithms. We use notation “ln” for such logarithms.
For example:
i) y  ln x means y  log e x

4.3.3 SKETCHING A LOGARITHMIC GRAPH

Let say a logarithmic function y  log x and x  0 . Therefire the graph for this function can be sketch
by:
Form a table:
x 0.5 2 4 6 8 10
y  log x -0.3010 0.3010 0.6021 0.7781 0.9031 1

Sketch the graph:

8
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
-0.2

-0.4

Example
Fill in the blanks and then sketch the graph for y = ln (4x+1)
13:
x 0.5 1 2 3 4
ln (4x + 1)

4.3.4 PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMIC FUNCTION

PROPERTY 1: logb  MN   logb M  logb N

a) log 10 (xy) =

b) log 5 (ab2) =

c) log e (2j) =

9
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

M 
PROPERTY 2 : logb    logb M  logb N
N

a) log 10 (a/b)=

5
b) log1/ 2 
x

2x 1
c) ln =
3

PROPERTY 3 : logb M r  r logb M

a) log 2 4t =

b) ln p q 1 

 1 
PROPERTY 4 : logb     logb M
M 

 1 
a) log10  
 2.5 

10
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

1
b) ln   
 

PROPERTY 5 :  
logb 1  logb b0  0

a) log 3 1 

b) ln1 

c) log 1 

PROPERTY 6: logb b  1

a) log 3 9 
1
b) log 0.5 
2
c) ln e 

PROPERTY 7: logb b r  r

2
a) log 3 9 

b) ln e

11
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

PROPERTY 8 : blogb M  M

a) 7 log7 x 
b) e ln( 2 x 1) 

log M ln M
PROPERTY 9 : log b M  atau
log b ln b
a) log 3 45 

b) log e 
4.4 Solving an exponential equation

Steps:
1. Rewrite the exponential equation in a form of logarithmic equation. (or simply put “log”
on both side of the equation)
2. Used the logarithmic properties to solve the equation.
3.
Solve the following expopnential equations:
Example
a) x
2 8
14

b) 3 x  27

c) 25 x  5

d) 163 x  2

12
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

e) 94 x  3

Example Solve the following equation to find the value of x;

a) 36  2(32 x )
x

15:
4 2x
b) 16 x  (5 )
5

c) 43 x  8 x

d) 49 x  7 x 1

Example
16:
a) 3 x  94 x  0
2

b) 2 x  82  4 x  0
2

13
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

c) 5 x  25 x  2  0
2

4.5 Solving a logarithmic equation

Steps:
1. Rewrite the logarithmic equation in a form of exponential equation.
2. Solve the equation using the exponential properties.

Example
17: Find the value for x that satisfy the following equations:
a) log3 x  3

b) ln 3  x

c) 4 x  2

d) log 4 x  3

e) ln 2 x  5

f) log 3 x  1  log x  3  2

g) log 2  2 x  3  2  log 2  x  1

14
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

h) ln x 4  ln x  24 ln 

4.6 APPLICATIONS OF EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC

FUNCTION

5.5.1 FINANCE

Assume that we invest a certain amount of money RM P, for t years. The

investment earned r% of interest which is compounded m times a year. Therefore,
the total amount of the investment (S) after t years can be calculate using the
formula:
mt
 r
S  P1  
 m

Where;
S Value of the investment after t years (together with the interest) – Compound
amount.
P  Initial amount that was invested – Principal amount
r interest rate
m number of conversion
t investment period (number of years)

For m (number of conversion):

Annually = once a year  m = 1
Semiannually = twice a year  m = 2
Quarterly = 4 times a year  m = 4
Monthly = 12 times a year  m = 12

Meanwhile, the amount of interest received (compound interset, Im) is obtain

by:
Im  S  P

15
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

Example
Find the value of an investment, S and the compound interest earned, Im
18:
for the principal investment amount of RM 1000 with 6% of interest a year :

a) For investment period of 10 years and the interest is compounded semiannually.

b) For investment period of 10 years and the interest is compounded quarterly.

Example
19: RM 5000 is invested at the rate of 9% compounded annually. Find the value of the
Suppose
investment after 5 years.

Contoh 20:
Based on your answer in example 19, what is the value of the investment if the interest is
compounded three times a year .

4.7 OTHER APPLICATIONS

16
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

a) Population Growth:
Suppose that the population of a town at a certain period of time is P0 and it is
increasing at the rate of r% per year. Therefore the population of the town after t
years is given by:

P = Poert
Where P = Amount of Population after t years
Po = Initial population
r = rate of population growth
t = period of times

Contoh 21:
The projected population P  t  for a small town is given by:
P  t   100000e0.05t

with t is the number of year/s after 1980.

i) What is the value for t if the population is predicted for the year 2002

ii) Using your answer in (i), what is the predicted population for 2002.

Example 22:

17
 Managerial Mathematics: : QQM1023

The population for Smallville at 1995 are 100 000. After 10 years, the population has grown to
150 000. What is the rate of the population growth for Smallville?

Example 23 (Radioactive Decay)

A radioactive element decays such that after t days the number of miligrams present is given by:
N  100e 0.062t .
i) How many miligrams are initially present?

ii) How many miligrams are present after 10 days?

18