Logarithm
/ˈlɒɡ.ə.rɪ.ðəm/noun
A number that expresses the power to which a fixed base must be raised to produce a given number.
Did you know?The term was coined by John Napier in the early 1600s to describe a calculation system that made huge computations feel almost like mathematical sorcery.
Etymological Timeline
Early 17th Century
Scottish Latin
logarithmus
“Napier’s coined term for a number tied to ratios in his new calculation method”
17th Century
English
logarithm
“A mathematical value used to simplify multiplication and division”
Greek Roots
Greek
logos + arithmos
““Ratio, account, word” + “number” — the elements Napier drew on to form the term”
Modern English
English
logarithm
“A function giving the exponent needed to produce a given number from a chosen base”