 Natural logarithm

The natural logarithm $\ln x$ is the logarithm with base Euler's number, and the inverse function of the real exponential function. A particularly geometric definition isFor $x>1$, it is the area under the hyperbola $y=1/t$ from $1$ to $x$. For $0<x<1$, the reversed integration limits give a negative value. The fundamental theorem of calculus gives $(\ln x{)}^{\prime }=1/x$, so the natural logarithm is increasing, while $(\ln x{)}^{\prime \prime }=-1/x^2$ gives concavity.

The change of variables $t=au$ shows ${\int }_a^{ab}dt/t={\int }_1^{b}du/u=\ln b$ for $a,b>0$. Thus the intervals from $1$ to $2$ and from $2$ to $4$ each contribute area $\ln 2$, explaining $\ln 4=2\ln 2$. Equal ratios give equal increments on a logarithmic scale, even though the ordinary differences grow. This makes the natural logarithm useful for comparing multiplicative changes and solving for time in exponential growth or exponential decay. The integral construction and inverse function properties are discussed in OpenStax, the natural logarithm as an integral.

The natural logarithm is a logarithm that uses the mathematical constant \( e \) (approximately equal to 2.71828) as its base. It is denoted as \( \ln(x) \), where \( x \) is a positive real number. The natural logarithm answers the question: "To what power must \( e \) be raised to obtain \( x \)?