exponential function

noun

, Mathematics.

1. the function y = ex .
2. any function of the form y = bax , where a and b are positive constants.
3. any function in which a variable appears as an exponent and may also appear as a base, as y = x 2x .

Word History and Origins

Origin of exponential function¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Like logarithms, or the zero, or exponential functions.

From Scientific American

“Other SAT topics that are either new or more difficult include histograms, scatter-plot interpretation, unit analysis, inference from a sample, two-way tables, exponential functions or compound interest,” he said.

From Washington Post

The sharp increase at the right smashes down the rest of the curve, so its true nature is a bit obscured, but from the lowest percentile up, this is roughly an exponential function.

From The Guardian

This involves looking at the time when they held the Olympics and afterwards and trying to fit an exponential function to it and then we can compare the different rates.

From BBC

One of my favorites involved the population of a town growing according to some exponential function of time.

From New York Times