Writing a logarithm in a form not involving logarithms

In summary: So, if you want to solve for ##x## or ##y## in terms of ##\beta##, you'll need to use a complex number calculator to do the job.
  • #1
Chijioke
14
3
Homework Statement
Write this in a form not involving logarithm.
Relevant Equations
$$\log_x(y)=1/\log_y(x)$$
logyx + logxy = 3/2
Solution
$$\begin{align*}\log_{ y }{ x } + \log_{ x }{ y } &= \frac{ 3 }{ 2 } \\
\log_{ x }{ y } &= \frac{ \log_{ y }{ y } }{ \log_{ y }{ x } } \\
\log_{ y }{ x } + \frac{ 1 }{ \log_{ y }{ x } } &= \frac{ 3 }{ 2 } \\
\left(\log_{ y }{ x } \right)^ { 2 } + 1 &= \frac{ 3 }{ 2 } \left(\log_{ y }{ x } \right) \\
\left(\log_{ y }{ x } \right) ^ { 2 } &= \frac{ 3 }{ 2 } \left(\log_{ y }{ x }\right) - 1
\end{align*}$$
What do I do next?
 
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  • #2
You have a quadratic equation in [itex]\log_y x[/itex]. Solve it.
 
  • #3
Chijioke said:
Homework Statement:: Write this in a form not involving logarithm.
Relevant Equations:: $$\log_x(y)=1/\log_y(x)$$

logyx + logxy = 3/2
Solution
$$\begin{align*}\log_{ y }{ x } + \log_{ x }{ y } &= \frac{ 3 }{ 2 } \\
\log_{ x }{ y } &= \frac{ \log_{ y }{ y } }{ \log_{ y }{ x } } \\
\log_{ y }{ x } + \frac{ 1 }{ \log_{ y }{ x } } &= \frac{ 3 }{ 2 } \\
\left(\log_{ y }{ x } \right)^ { 2 } + 1 &= \frac{ 3 }{ 2 } \left(\log_{ y }{ x } \right) \\
\left(\log_{ y }{ x } \right) ^ { 2 } &= \frac{ 3 }{ 2 } \left(\log_{ y }{ x }\right) - 1
\end{align*}$$
What do I do next?
Hello @Chijioke.

:welcome:

I'm pretty sure that the problem as stated has no solution.

However,

##\displaystyle \ \log_y x - \log_x y =\frac 3 2 \ ##

does have a solution.
 
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  • #4
I was not asked to find the value of x and y. I was only asked to write it in a form not involving logarithm. Is writing it in a form not involving logarithm the same as finding the value of x and y or solving the equation persay?
 
  • #5
Chijioke said:
I was not asked to find the value of x and y. I was only asked to write it in a form not involving logarithm. Is writing it in a form not involving logarithm the same as finding the value of x and y or solving the equation persay?
"Solving" the quadratic equation, as suggested by @pasmith, will not give specific values for ##x## and/or ##y##. What the solution gives is possible values for ##\displaystyle \log_y x## or equivalently, values for ##\displaystyle \log_x y## .

Let's say you get the result ##\displaystyle \beta= \log_y x##, for some real number, ##\displaystyle \beta##. Writing that in exponential form gives you:

##\displaystyle x=y^{\,\beta}##

A difficulty with the problem, as it is written, is that the solutions for ##\beta## are complex numbers, that is, they have an imaginary part.
 
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FAQ: Writing a logarithm in a form not involving logarithms

What does it mean to write a logarithm in a form not involving logarithms?

Writing a logarithm in a form not involving logarithms means expressing the logarithmic equation or expression in an exponential form. For example, the logarithmic equation log_b(a) = c can be rewritten as the exponential equation b^c = a.

How do you convert a logarithmic expression to an exponential form?

To convert a logarithmic expression to its exponential form, use the definition of a logarithm. If you have log_b(a) = c, this can be rewritten as b^c = a. This means that the base b raised to the power of c equals a.

Can you provide an example of converting a logarithm to an exponential form?

Sure! Let's take the logarithmic equation log_2(8) = 3. To convert this to exponential form, we rewrite it as 2^3 = 8. This shows that 2 raised to the power of 3 equals 8.

Why would you want to write a logarithm in a form not involving logarithms?

Writing a logarithm in a form not involving logarithms can simplify solving equations, especially in algebra and calculus. It can also make it easier to understand the relationship between the numbers involved and can be useful in certain types of mathematical proofs and problem-solving scenarios.

Are there any limitations or considerations when converting logarithms to exponential form?

One important consideration is that the base of the logarithm must be positive and not equal to 1. Additionally, the argument of the logarithm must be positive. These conditions ensure that the logarithmic and exponential forms are mathematically valid and meaningful.

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