For a fixed base 0<a=1, the logarithmic function loga(⋅) is defined as the inverse of the exponential ax: y=ax⟺logay=x. Since ax has domain R and range (0,∞), loga has domain (0,∞) and range R -- logarithms of non-positive numbers are never defined. Since a0=1 always, loga1=0 for every base.
The five core laws (all provable directly from the inverse relationship):
alogax=x,loga(xy)=logax+logay,loga(yx)=logax−logay,logaxr=rlogax,logbx=logablogax.
Negative-base trick. log1/ax=−logax (immediate from the change-of-base formula with loga(1/a)=−1) -- very useful for combining mixed-base logarithmic equations into a single base.
Telescoping chains. A product like logab⋅logbc⋅logca always collapses to 1 (change every factor to a common base and watch every intermediate term cancel); more generally logab1⋅logb1b2⋯logbk−1bk=logabk. …