when which is a whole number, is increased indefinitely. That this definition is equivalent to the preceding, will appear if the expression is expanded by the binomial theorem, which is evidently applicable in a case of this kind.
These functions of are homologous with
172. We may define the logarithm as the function which is the inverse of the exponential, so that the equations
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are equivalent, leaving it undetermined for the present whether every dyadic has a logarithm, and whether a dyadic can have more than one.
173. It follows at once from the second definition of the exponential function that, if and are homologous,
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and that, if is a positive or negative whole number,
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174. If and are homologous dyadics, and such that
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the definitions of No. 171 give immediately
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whence
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175. If
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Therefore
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176.
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For the first member of this equation is the limit of
that is, of
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If we set the limit becomes that of
or
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the limit of which is the second member of the equation to be proved.
177. By the definition of exponentials, the expression
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represents the limit of
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