How do you differentiate y= log _a x?

1 Answer
Jul 22, 2016

y' = 1/(xln a)

Explanation:

the easiest way is to shift the base to e

so y = log_a x = (log_e x)/(log_e a) {small demo of what that is so is set out below}

thusly

y' = 1/x *1/(log_e a) = 1/(xln a)

the demo

y = log_a x implies a^y = x by definition

so we choose to use natural logs because they work so well with calculus

ln a^y = ln x

y ln a = ln x

y = ( ln x)/(ln a)