1162: Log Scale

2013-01-18T12:43:46Z

Maelstrom07: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1162
| date = January 18, 2013
| title = Log Scale
| image = log scale.png
| titletext = Knuth Paper-Stack Notation: Write down the number on pages. Stack them. If the stack is too tall to fit in the room, write down the number of pages it would take to write down the number. THAT number won't fit in the room? Repeat. When a stack fits, write the number of iterations on a card. Pin it to the stack.
}}

==Explanation==

A {{w|Logarithmic scale|log scale}} is a way of showing largely unequal data sizes in a comprehensible way, using an exponential function between each notch on the y axis of a graph. So for example the first on a Y axis of an graph using a log-10-scale would be 1, then 10, then 100 and 1000 for the fourth. A {{w|logarithm|log/logarithmic function}} is the {{w|inverse function|inverse}} of a corresponding {{w|Exponential growth|exponential function}}, where as the name comes.

The log scale can also be abused to make data looks a lot more equal than it really is, so on a log scale sugar and other materials would look largely equal in amount of energy, where they clearly are not – hence the presenter should be critical as to when such a scale should be used or not – with the caption suggesting a very restrictive use. See {{w|Logarithmic_scale#Example_scales|these examples}} of well know day-to-day measurement which are measured on a log-scale.

Using paper thickness of basis for a log scale would make the exponential function having a very large base.

The title text mentions computer scientist {{w|Donald Knuth}}; the fictional notation may be a parody of {{w|Knuth's up-arrow notation}}.

==Transcript==

{{comic discussion}}
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1162: Log Scale