Antilog

/ˈæntiˌlɔɡ/ noun

Definition

Short for antilogarithm; the number that results when you reverse a logarithmic operation by raising a base to a given power.

Etymology

From anti- (opposite) + logarithm, combining the prefix meaning 'against' with the mathematical term. This is a modern mathematical term created when logarithms became standard in 17th-century calculations.

Kelly Says

Before calculators, mathematicians used logarithm tables to turn multiplication into addition (much faster!), and they needed antilogs to convert the answer back—antilog is basically the 'undo' button for logarithms that made complex calculations possible.

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