Lecture 1

Exponents and Logarithms

1.1 Exponents

An expression of the form xn , where x is a real number and n is a positive integer, is

called an exponential expression. Here

xn = x · x · · · x (n times)

x is called the base and n is called the exponent

Laws of Exponents

(i) xm · xn = xm+n

(ii) (xm )n = xmn

(iii) (xy)n = xn y n
 x n xn
(iv) If y 6= 0, then =
y yn
 m−n
x m  x , if m is greater than n,
(v) n = 1 , if m = n,
x  1
xn−m
, if n is greater than m

1
 Example 1: Simplify the following using positive integer exponents only.

1. x3 x5 5. (t8 )2

x6 u10
2. 6.
x10 u6

3. (ab)7 (3x2 z)3

7.
(9xz 5 )2
s
4. ( )3
t

Solution:

1. x3 x5 = x3+5 = x8 u10
6. = u10−6 = u4
u6
x6 1 1
2. 10 = 10−6 = 4
x x x (3x2 z)3 33 x6 z 3 33 x6 z 3
7. = = =
3. (ab)7 = a7 b7 (9xz 5 )2 92 x2 z 10 (32 )2 x2 z 10
33 x6 z 3 x6−2 x4
s s3 = =
4. ( )3 = 3 34 x2 z 10 34−3 z 10−3 3z 7
t t
5. (t8 )2 = t8×2 = t16

Zero Exponent

Suppose x 6= 0. Then applying the first law of exponent we obtain

xn = xn+0 = xn · x0 .

Since x 6= 0, then xn 6= 0 and so we can divide though by xn to obtain

xn
x0 = = 1.
xn
Hence for all x 6= 0, we have
x0 = 1
 3 0
For example 40 = 1, = 1, (xy 3 z)0 = 1 for x 6= 0,y 6= 0, z 6= 0
4
2
Negative-Integer Exponent

Again, applying the first law of exponent and the definition of zero exponent, we obtain

that for x 6= 0,
1 = x0 = x−n+n = x−n · xn

This implies that

1
x−n =
xn
and
1
xn =
x−n
For example,

1
(i) x−4 =
x4
1 1
(ii) 4−2 = =
42 16
1
(iii) = b3
b−3

Having defined the zero exponent and the negative integer exponent, the fifth law of

exponent can be replaced by the following simple form

xm 1
n
= xm−n = n−m
x x

Example 2: Simplify and express the answers with positive exponents only

x−4 y −3
1.
2xy
8a−2 b−4
2.
6a−5 b2
 s−3 s3 −2
3.
t−5

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 Solution:

x−4 y −3 1 1 1 1
1. −2
= x−4−1 y −3−(−2) = x−5 y −3+2 = x−5 y −1 = 5
2xy 2 2 2 2x y
8a−2 b−4 8 −2−(−5) −4−2 4 −2+5 −6 4 3 −6 4a3
2. = a b = a b = ab = 6
6a−5 b2 6 3 3 3b
 s−3 s3 −2  s−3+3 −2  s0 −2  1 −2 1−2 1
3. −5
= −5
= −5
= −5
= −5 −2
= 10
t t t t (t ) t

Rational Exponents
1
Let n be a positive integer. Then x n is called an nth root of x. If n is even and x is
1 1
positive, then x n represents the positive real nth root of x, −(x n ) represents the negative
1 1
real nth root of x, and (−x) n does not represent any real number. If n is odd, then x n
1
represents the real nth root of x. If x = 0, then x n = 0.
1 1 1 1 1
For example, 9 2 = 3, −(9 2 ) = −3, (−9) 2 s not a real number, 8 3 = 2 and (−8) 3 = −2
Now, if m and n are positive integers and x is any real number except that x cannot
be negative when n is even, then

m 1 m 1
x n = (x n )m and x− n = m
xn

Note

(i) All the five laws of exponents also hold for rational exponents.
(ii) Applying the second law of exponent, we obtain

m 1 1
x n = xm· n = (xm ) n .

Therefore, the following useful relationship holds:

m 1 1
x n = (xm ) n = (x n )m .

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 Example 3: Evaluate the following

3
1. (64)− 2
1 3
4− 2 × 9 2
2. 2 1
8 3 × 27 3
Solution:

3 3 1 1
1. (64)− 2 = (82 )− 2 = 8−3 = 3
=
8 512
1 3 1 3
4− 2 × 9 2 (22 )− 2 × (32 ) 2 2−1 × 33 −1−2 −3 32 9
2. 2 1 = 2 1 = 2 1
= 2 × 33−1
= 2 × 32
= 3
= = 1 81 .
8 3 × 27 3 (23 ) 3 × (33 ) 3 2 ×3 2 8

Radical Forms and Rational Exponents

The rational exponents can also be represented using the radical sign. For any real number

x, the nth root of x can also be expressed as

1 √
n
xn = x, n = 2, 3, 4, ...

√ √ √
If n = 2, we simply write x instead of 2 x and call x the positive square root of x.
If x is non-negative whenever n is even, we have

m 1 √
(i) x n = (xm ) n = n
xm

m 1 √
(ii) x n = (x n )m = ( n x)m

Example 4: Express the following in radical form.

2
1. −5x 3

2
2. (5x) 3

2
3. (3x2 y 3 ) 5

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Solution:

2 √
3 √
1. −5x 3 = −5( x2 ) or − 5( 3 x)2

2 p √
2. (5x) 3 = 3
(5x)2 or ( 3 5x)2

2 p p
3. (3x2 y 3 ) 5 = 5
(3x2 y 3 )2 or ( 5 3x2 y 3 )2

Example 5: Convert to rational exponent form.

√
1. 7
x
√
4
2. x3
p
3. 7
(6a2 b5 )4

Solution:

√ 1
1. 7
x = x7
√
4 3
2. x3 = x 4
p 4
3. 7
(6a2 b5 )4 = (6a2 b5 ) 7

Properties of Radicals

In the following properties of radicals, n, m,and k are natural numbers(i.e. positive whole
numbers) that are greater than or equal to 2, x and y are positive real numbers.

√ √
1. n
xn = x, ( n x)n = x

√ √ √
2. n x· ny
xy =
n

√
x n
x
r
3. n = √
y n y

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 √
kn
√
n
4. xkm = xm

The above properties can be verified using the laws of exponents and they are left for you
to do.

Example 6: Simplify the following

p
1. 5
32x5 y 15

√
3
√
2. 3· 39
s
8x3
3. 3
27y 6
√
6
4. x4

Solution:
p √
5
p p p 1
1. 5
32x5 y 15 = 32x5 · 5 y 15 = 5 (2x)5 · 5 y 15 = 2x · (y 15 ) 5 = 2xy 3

√
3
√ √ √ √3
2. 3 · 3 9 = 3 3 × 9 = 3 3 × 32 = 33 = 3
s √ 3
p p
3 3
8x 8x 3 3
(2x) 3
(2x)3 2x
3. 3 6
= p = p = p = 2
27y 3
27y 6 3
33 y 6 3
(3y 2 )3 3y
√
6
√
2·3
√3
4. x4 = x2·2 = x2