Mathematics

Exponential & Logarithmic Series

www.testprepkart.com
Table of Content

1. Definition (The number e).

2. Properties of e.
3. Exponential series.
4. Exponential function ax where a > 0.
5. Some important results from exponential series.
6. Some standard results.
7. Logarithmic series.
8. Some important results from the logarithmic series.
9. Difference between the exponential and logarithmic
series.

1
 Exponential Series

1. Definition (The number e).

n
 1
The limiting value of  1   when n tends to infinity is denoted by e
 n
n
 1 1 1 1 1
i.e., e = e  lim 1    1      .........  = 2.71 (Nearly)
n  n 1! 2! 3! 4 !

2. Properties of e.

1 1
(1) e lies between 2.7 and 2.8. i.e., 2.7 < e < 2.8 (since  n 1 for n  2 )
n! 2
(2) The value of e correct to 10 places of decimals is 2.7182818284
(3) e is an irrational (incommensurable) number
(4) e is the base of natural logarithm (Napier logarithm) i.e. ln x  loge x and log10 e is known as

Napierian constant. log10 e  0.43429448 , ln x  2.303 log10 x

 1 
 since ln x  log10 x . loge 10 and loge 10   2 .30258509 
 log10 e 

3. Exponential Series.


x x2 x3 xr

xn
For x  R , e x  1     ......   ...... or e x 
1! 2! 3! r! n 0
n!

The above series known as exponential series and e x is called exponential function. Exponential function
is also denoted by exp. i.e. exp A  e A ;  exp x  e x

2
4. Exponential Function ax, where a > 0.

x
 a x  e loge a  e x loge a
x x2 x3 xr
ax  e x ....(i) , where   log e a . We have, e x  1    ........   ........ 
1! 2! 3! r!
x 2x2 3x3 rxr
Replacing x by  x in this series, e  x  1     .....   .....
1! 2! 3! r!
log e a (loge a)2 2 (loge a)r x r
Hence from (i), a x  1  x x  .......   ........ 
1! 2! r!

5. Some Important Results from Exponential Series.

We have the exponential series


x x2 xn
(1) e x  1  
1! 2!
 ........   
n 0 n!
…..(i)


x x2 x3 xn
(2) Replacing x by –x in (i), we obtain e  x  1   
1! 2! 3!
 ...... 
n 0
(1)n 
n!
…..(ii)


1 1 1 1
(3) Putting x  1 in (i) and (ii), we get, e  1     ...... 
1! 2! 3! n 0 n!

(1)n

1 1 1
e 1  1     ...... 
1! 2! 3! n 0 n!


e x  e x x2 x4 x6 x 2n
(4) From (i) and (ii), we obtain
2
1
2!
 
4 ! 6!
 ....... 
n 0 (2n)!


e x  e x x3 x5 x 2 n 1
2
x 
3! 5!
 .......  
n 0 (2n  1)!

e  e 1 
e  e 1 

 
1 1 1 1 1 1
(5)  1    .......  ,  1    ....... 
2 2! 4 ! n  0 (2n)! 2 3! 5! n  0 (2n  1)!

3
  

  r!
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Note: e  1      .........    e 2     .........  
1! 2! 3! 4 ! r 1 r! 2! 3! 4 ! r2

6. Some Standard results.

  

 n!  (n  1)!   (n  k )!  e
1 1 1
(1)
n 0 n 0 n 0

 n!  1!  2!  3! ..........   e  1
1 1 1 1
(2)
n 1

 n!  2!  3!  4!  .........  e  2
1 1 1 1
(3)
n2

 (n  1)!  1!  2!  3!  .........  e  1
1 1 1 1
(4)
n 0

 (n  2)!  2!  3!  4!  .........  e  2
1 1 1 1
(5)
n 0

 (n  1)!  2!  3!  4!  .........  e  2
1 1 1 1
(6)
n 1

 
e  e 1
  (2n  2)!
1 1 1 1 1
(7)  1     .........   
n 0 (2n)! 2! 4 ! 6! 2 n 1

 
e  e 1
 
1 1 1 1 1
(8)     .........   
n 1 (2n  1)! 1! 3! 5! 2 n 0 (2n  1)!

x x2 x3 xn
(9) e x  1     .........   ......... 
1! 2! 3! n!
xn 1
 Tn 1  General term in the expansion of e x  and coefficient of x n in e x 
n! n!

4
 2
x x x3 xn
(10) e  x  1     ........  (1)n  ........ 
1! 2! 3! n!
xn (1)n
 Tn 1  General term in the expansion of e  x  (1)n and coefficient of x n in e  x 
n! n!

(ax) (ax)2 (ax)3 (ax)n

(11) e ax  1     .........   ......... 
1! 2! 3! n!
(ax)n an
 Tn 1  General term in the expansion of e ax  and coefficient of x n in e ax 
n! n!

 

 n!  e   n!
n n
(12)
n 0 n 1

 
n2 n2
(13)  n!  2e   n!
n 0 n 1

 
n3 n3
(14) 
n 0 n!
 5e  
n 1 n!

 
n4 n4
(15) 
n 0 n!
 15 e  
n 1 n!

5
 Logarithmic Series

7. Logarithmic Series.
An expansion for log e (1  x ) as a series of powers of x which is valid only when,| x |  1 ,
x2 x3 x4
Expansion of loge (1  x ); if | x |  1, then log e (1  x )  x     ........ 
2 3 4

8. Some Important Results from the Logarithmic Series.

(1) Replacing x by  x in the logarithmic series, we get

x2 x3 x4 x2 x3 x4
log e (1  x )   x     ........  or  log e (1  x )  x     ........ 
2 3 4 2 3 4

x 2 x4 
(2) (i) log e (1  x )  log e (1  x )  log e (1  x 2 )  2    ........ , (1  x  1)
 2 4 
 x3 x5  1  x   x3 x5 
(ii) log e (1  x )  log e (1  x )  2  x    ........  or log e    2x    ........ 
 3 5  1  x   3 5 

(3) The series expansion of loge (1  x ) may fail to be valid if |x| is not less than 1. It can be proved that the
logarithmic series is valid for x=1. Putting x=1 in the logarithmic series.
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
We get, log e 2  1       ........      ........ 
2 3 4 5 6 1 .2 3.4 5.6

(4) When x  1 , the logarithmic series does not have a sum. This is in conformity with the fact that log
(1-1) is not a finite quantity.

6
9. Difference between the Exponential and Logarithmic Series.

x x2 x3
(1) In the exponential series e x  1     ..........  all the terms carry positive signs whereas in
1! 2! 3!
x2 x3 x4
the logarithmic series log e (1  x )  x     ........  the terms are alternatively positive and
2 3 4
negative.

(2) In the exponential series the denominator of the terms involve factorial of natural numbers. But in the
logarithmic series the terms do not contain factorials.

(3) The exponential series is valid for all the values of x. The logarithmic series is valid when |x|< 1.