Answer:
The logarithm is the inverse function to exponentiation. That means the logarithm of a given number x is the exponent to which another fixed number, the base b, must be raised, to produce that number x.
Explanation:
Logarithms are a convenient way to express large numbers. (The base-10 logarithm of a number is roughly the number of digits in that number, for example.) Slide rules work because adding and subtracting logarithms is equivalent to multiplication and division. (This benefit is slightly less important today.)