Strategies to solve exponential and logarithmic equations

Since the functions log and are one to one (injective), we have the following
strategies:

(S1) = implies =

(S2) = implies =

In addition, you can use the relation between powers and logarithms to rewrite a
logarithm or a power in order to determine an exponent or an argument:

(S3) = =

Example 1: You can rewrite the equation log 3 ( + 1) = 2 as ( + 1) = 32

Example 2: You can rewrite the equation 25 = 6 as 5 = log 2 6, that has a positive
real solution.

In order to transform your exponential or logarithmic equation into one of the expressions
given by S1, S2 or S3, you can use the following properties:

(E1) = if (L1) =

(E2) = (L2) =

(E3) =
(L3) ( ) = ( )

(E4) = + (L4) =

(E5) ( ) = (L5) ( ) = +

(E6) ( ) =
(L6) ( ) =

(E7) () =
(L7) () =

(E8) / =

Calculus I Prof: Emmanuel Pedroza, M.Ed.

Common tricks:

If your equation has constants (real numbers) and logarithms, you can move all the
logarithms to the same side of the equation, in order to write it as log () =
(after the use of L5 and L6), and use (S3) to rewrite it as the equation () = .
Example 3:
log 2 ( + 1) = log 2 ( 1) + 3

log 2 ( + 1) log 2 ( 1) = 3

+1
log 2 ( ) =3 L6 on the left side
1

+1
= 23 S3
1

Make sure you use properties (E5) and (L4) to have the same base or same
logarithm in both sides of the equation. From log () = log () you can
never get () = ().

Example 4:

log 2 (3 1) = log 4 (21 + 1)

log2(21+1)
log 2 (3 1) = L4
log2 4

log 2 (21 + 1)
log 2 (3 1) =
2
2 log 2 (3 1) = log 2 (21 + 1)

log 2 (3 1)2 = log 2 (21 + 1) L3 on the left side

(3 1)2 = 21 + 1 S1

As seen in the previous example, L3 can be used conversely to rewrite the

expression (log ) as an only logarithm log , in order to combine it with
other logarithms.

Calculus I Prof: Emmanuel Pedroza, M.Ed.