natural logarithm

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. a logarithm having e as a base. ln

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natural logarithm British  

noun

1. Also called: Napierian logarithm.  a logarithm to the base e. Usually written log e or ln Compare e common logarithm

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natural logarithm Scientific  

1. A logarithm using base e. Natural logarithms are common in mathematics, especially in cases involving complex numbers. They are also called Napierian logarithms, after their inventor, English mathematician John Napier (1550–1617).

2. See more at e Compare common logarithm

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Etymology

Origin of natural logarithm

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

For example, the natural logarithm of 10 is 2.303; that is,

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

The function ex is then defined as the inverse of the natural logarithm.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

The cornerstone of the development is the definition of the natural logarithm in terms of an integral.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

As a result, the inverse hyperbolic functions involve the natural logarithm.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

For purposes of this section, assume we have not yet defined the natural logarithm, the number e, or any of the integration and differentiation formulas associated with these functions.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016