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Logarithms are everywhere. Ever use any of the following phrases?
- 6 figures
- Double digits
- Order of magnitude
You’re describing numbers in terms of their powers of 10 — a logarithm. Ever mention an interest rate or rate of return? It’s the logarithm of your growth.
Surprised that logarithms are so common? Me too. Many attempts at Math In the Real World are attempts to point out logarithms in some arcane formula or pretending we’re geologists fascinated by the Richter Scale. “Scientists care about logs, and you should too. Also, can you imagine a world without zinc?”
No, no, no, no no, no no! (Mama mia!)
Math expresses concepts with notation like “ln” or “log”. Finding “math in the real world” means encountering ideas in life and seeing how they could be written with notation. Don’t look for the literal symbols! When was the last time you wrote a division sign? When was the last time you chopped up some food?
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