DIFFERENTIATION

OF
LOGARITHMIC
FUNCTIONS

OBJECTIVES:
differentiate and simplify logarithmic
functions using the properties of logarithm,
and
apply logarithmic differentiation for
complicated functions and functions with
variable base and exponent.

TRANSCENDENTAL
FUNCTIONS
Kinds of transcendental functions:
1. logarithmic and exponential
functions
2. trigonometric and inverse
trigonometric functions
3. hyperbolic and inverse hyperbolic
functions
Note:
Each pair of functions above is an inverse to each
other.

The LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS

A logarithmic function with the base
a, a>0 and a1 is defined by
y
y log a x if and only if x a
Logarrithm ic form y log a x
Exponential form x a y
EXAMPLE:
Logarithmic Form

Exponential Form

1
log 16 4
2

4 16

log 2 8 3

8 23

1
2

SOME LOGARITHMS OF KNOWN BASES:

NATURAL LOGARITHMS
Logarithms to the base e = 2.718 are
called natural logarithms (from the
Latin word Logarithmic Naturalis or
Napieran logarithms).

log e x ln x

COMMON LOGARITHMS
Logarithms to the base 10 are called
common logarithms.

log 10 x log x

CHANGE OF BASE
When the base of a logarithm is other
than e or 10, express its equivalent using
the base e or 10 in the formula
log a x
log b x
log a b

or

log e x ln x
log b x

log e b ln b

Example :
log 10 x
log e x lnx
1. log 2 x
or log 2 x

log 10 2
log e 2 ln2
log 10 y
log e y lny
2. log 3 y
or log 2 x

log 10 3
log e 3 ln3

For positive numbers M , N, p, and a 1

1. log a MN log a M log a N
Note : log a M N log a M log a N

not distributive

M
2. log a
log a M log a N
N
M log a M
not a quotient of 2 logarithms
Note : log a

N log a N
3. log a N plog a N
p

4. log a

1
p

1
N log a N log a N
p

6. log a a 1
8. If log a x log a y,

5. log a 1 0
7. log a a p p

then x y

DIFFERENTIATION FORMULA
Derivative of Logarithmic Function
The derivative of the logarithmic function
for any given base and any differentiable
function
of ubase a :
For
any given
d
1
du
(log a u ) log a e
; where u f(x)
dx
u
dx
For base e :
d
1
du
(log e u ) log e e
but log e e 1 and log e u ln u
dx
u
dx
d
1 du
(ln u )
; where u f(x)
dx
u dx

following natural
logarithmic functions and simplify the
1. y ln 4 x 1
result:
3
2. f ( x ) ln 1 2 x
3. f x ln 3 x 2 1 3 5 x
4

x
3 x
ln x 2
5. G x ln
4x
4. h x ln

ln 4 x 2 1
6. g x
ln x 3

7. y ln x 2 ln x

8. F x x ln x

1 x2 1 x2

B. Differentiate the following logarithmic

functions.
1. y log 2 3 x
2. h x log 2 3 log 2 x 2
3. f y log 2 3 y 2

4. g x log x 3 x

5. F x log 3 3 x 2 4
4 3z 2
6. H z log 5
z 1
2

t 3 2t 3
7. G t log
3t 2 1

Find the derivative using implicit differentiatio

1. ln xy 5 x y

2. ln x y ln x y 1

Logarithmic Differentiation
Oftentimes, the derivatives of algebraic
functions
which appear complicated in form
(involving products, quotients and
powers) can be found quickly by taking
the natural logarithms of both sides and
applying the properties of logarithms
before differentiation. This method is
called logarithmic differentiation.

ps in applying logarithmic differentiation

1. Take the natural logarithm of both
sides and apply the properties of
logarithms.
2. Differentiate both sides and reduce
the right side to a single fraction.
3. Solve for y by multiplying the right
side by y.
NOTE:
Logarithmic
differentiation
is result.
also
4. Substitute
and
simplify the
applicable whenever the base and its
power are both functions.

EXAMPLE:

dy
x 3 x 1
1. Find
if y
dx
5x 2
2

1
2

using logarithmic differentiation

Solution :

1
2

3 x 1
1
ln x 2 3 ln x 1 ln 5 x 2
5x 2
2
y'
1
1
1
1
2 x
1
5
2
y x 3
2 x 1
5x 2

ln y ln

y' 2 x 2 x 1 5 x 2 x 2 3 5 x 2 5 2 x 2 3 x 1

y
2 x 2 3 x 1 5 x 2

y' 20 x 3 8 x 2 20 x 2 8 x 5 x 3 2 x 2 15 x 6 10 x 3 10 x 2 30 x 30

y
2 x 2 3 x 1 5 x 2

y'
15 x 3 23 x 36

y 2 x 2 3 x 1 5 x 2

15 x 3 23 x 36
y'
y
2
2 x 3 x 1 5 x 2

15 x 23 x 36
x 3 x 1
y'

2
2 x 3 x 1 5 x 2
5x 2
3

y'

15 x 3 23 x 36
1
2

2 x 1 5 x 2

1
2

EXERCISES:

Differentiate and simplify each of the followin

1. h x 4 x 3 log 2 x 2 2

2. f x log 3 x 3 x
3

2 3

3. g x log 4 3 x 1 1 x

4. F x ln x x 4

3x 2 2

3x 2 4 x
5. H x
log( 3 4 x 3 )
6. y 4 3 x log 6 x 1

3 2

B. Differentiate each of the

following using implicit
differentiation.
x
2
1. log xy log 4 x 3
y

2. y ln x x ln y ln e 2 x

C. Differentiate each of the

following using logarithmic
differentiation.

3x x2 4 x3 3
1. y
2 x2 1

2. f x 5 x 2 1 4 x 3 3