When do Log and exponent intersect?

For what range of values of aa, does the equation ax=logaxa^x = \log_{a} x have a solution?

Note by Mahdi Raza
2 months, 1 week ago

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Comments

x(0,ee1]{1} there is a solution which is:\forall x\in (0,e^{e^{-1}}]-\{1\}\space there\space is\space a\space solution\space which\space is : x=W0 or 1(lna)lnax=\dfrac{-W_{0\space or\space -1}(-\ln a)}{\ln a} W(x)W(x) is the lambert W function

Zakir Husain - 2 months, 1 week ago

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Since y=axy=a^x and y=logaxy=\log_ax are inverse functions it is easy to show that there intersection points will lie on the line y=xy=x

Therefore we have to solve the equation : x=axx=a^x axx=1\Rightarrow a^{-x}x=1 xax=1\Rightarrow -xa^{-x}=-1 xexlna=1\Rightarrow -xe^{-x\ln a}=-1 xlnaexlna=lna\Rightarrow -x\ln a e^{-x\ln a}=-\ln a W0 or 1(xlnaexlna)=W0 or 1(lna)\Rightarrow W_{0\space or\space -1}(\red{-x\ln a} e^{\red{-x\ln a}})=W_{0\space or\space -1}(-\ln a) xlna=W0 or 1(lna)\Rightarrow -x\ln a=W_{0\space or\space -1}(-\ln a) x=W0 or 1(lna)lna\Rightarrow x=\dfrac{-W_{0\space or\space -1}(-\ln a)}{\ln a} Now since Domain of W(x)W(x) in real is [e1,)[-e^{-1},\infty)

Therefore the equation will have solution only if lnae1-\ln a\geq -e^{-1} lnae1\Rightarrow \ln a\leq e^{-1} aee1\Rightarrow a\leq e^{e^{-1}} Because aa can not be smaller than or equal to 00 0<aee1,a=1\therefore 0<a\leq e^{e^{-1}}, a\cancel{=}1

Zakir Husain - 2 months, 1 week ago
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