>> And then of course, people will write "log x". Wanna take a guess which
>> base that is? Now, sometimes it actually doesn't matter which base. And
>> if it does, it *probably* means the natural logarithm. Probably...
> 
> IIRC, 'log x' with no base usually means base 10, and 'ln x' is the natural log.
> But, as you say, depends what the local conventions are.

Some people use log to mean base-10. Some use it to mean an unspecified 
base. But (arguably) *most* geniune maths sources use it to mean the 
natural logarithm.

>> Hell, I've seen formulas where pi does *not* refer to the well-known
>> transcendental number!
> 
> Now that's just careless.

It's a standard convention.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime-counting_function

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

Post a reply to this message