Why did we learn about logarithms at school?

Answer 1

Because the Education System is run by idiots...

I'm an Engineer (Mech Eng), now a 'Computing person' who gives Math'/Physics & Computing tuition...

I liken most course 'syllabi' (what the student must cover) to a crap brochure for a nice holiday destination...

I honestly think that logs are there (along with much else) for the express purpose of making the less privileged 'give up on' science....

Make the 'man on the street' feel that all that Math' stuff is 'beyond him'...

Two things terrify those who have power, those who do not have power developing the ability to organise people & their development of the ability to organise information...

As Thomas Pynchon put it; if they get you asking the wrong questions, they don't need to worry about your answers...

Check out Polya's 'How to Solve It' for a classic (1940s) text on problem solving...

The time to learn about logs is when you've found a problem that interests you that requires an understanding of logs...

Then you will go & figure out logs... why?

You'll know why... you're interested in a problem that requires an understanding of logs...

A friend of mine only mastered the fundamentals of English Grammar when he was doing his M.A.... why did he bother?

He wanted the ideas in his M.A. thesis (which he cared about) to look as good as possible..

Congratulations on posing a question that you're not supposed to ask...

K

antiparanoid.blogspot.com

Answer 2

Yeah, I'm with you on this one. I mean WTF is this all about?

"The logarithm is the mathematical operation that is the inverse of exponentiation (raising a constant, the base, to a power).

The logarithm of a number x in base b is the number n such that x = bn. Thus b may never be 0 or a root of 1. It is usually written as..."

I mean please! Why the fack bother with all that?

Answer 3

Logs are very necessary in science and engineering. If they did not teach them at school, where would we get our scientists and engineers?

Logs are also very useful for labourers and others like you. If you did not have a calculator, how would you calculate compound interest? How much does $1055 become if it is, receiving interest of 5.25% pa for 6 1/2 years?

Answer 4

Because, Natural Logarithm and its inverse fuction (the Exponential) are very important elements required to comprehend higher mathematics. We use them all the time in the practical world..

Answer 5

Because exponential functions appear frequently in applications and logarithms are the inverse functions of the exponentials.

Answer 6

Too before for me to point a at the instant available text cloth... Log purposes are pronounced in HS point Geometry and Algebra instructions. The curriculum ameliorations in lots of cases sufficient and its been long sufficient that i will't inform you for particular which will introduce it. Log purposes are N^x the place N is the Log base and x is the style. standard Log base is often "e" for "organic log or 10. Ask any interior of reach HS math instructor for a whole rationalization.

Answer 7

Comms engineers use logarithms extensively to help them design mobile phones, so if you like having a mobile phone, don't slag off logarithms! And not just mobile phones - TV's, digital cameras, sat nav. etc. etc.

Answer 8

So that when you hear about an earthquake that's 6.8 on the Richter scale, and you look up "richter scale" and it talks about logarithms, you will have some idea of what it is.

Answer 9

Just to sort out the mathematically challenged like myself from the clever clogs and make my school life a misery.

Answer 10

Because as you continue on in physics, math, economics, statistics, and chemistry, you will use them extensively. In fact, they have many helpful properties that make them actually easier to work with than with regular numbers. When you first learn them they seem pointless, though.