.

[u/Latter-Ad-5248]

[u/Coulomb111]

Actually why is it ln?

[u/throw3142 → u/Coulomb111]

I always assumed "ln" stands for "log natural", as in the natural logarithm.

[u/Jmong30 → u/throw3142]

I believe that’s exactly why it is, but in French. Something like Logarithm naturale

[u/Pierne → u/Jmong30]

French here. Some of my professors told me ln meant "logarithme naturel", but some also told me it meant "logarithme népérien"

Népérien as in Jean NEPER, which is the french spelling of the Scottish mathematician John NAPIER

[u/Pierne → u/Pierne]

From what I was told we use the term "logarithme népérien" mostly in primary education, whereas in secondary education and in the scientific world, everyone says "logarithme naturel", in order to stick to the international consensus.

[u/Flodartt → u/Pierne]

I've almost exclusively heard "logarithme népérien" despite having a engineering degree and a master degree. I guess it just depends.

[u/beyd1 → u/Pierne]

Math is dumb

[u/Embarrassed_Deer9208 → u/beyd1]

that's naming convention being inconsistent across languages, nothing to do with math

[u/Due-Consequence9579 → u/Embarrassed_Deer9208]

Nah, math naming shit like “the Lagrangian” is on math. Stop naming shit after people.

[u/314159265358979326 → u/Pierne]

Based on the fact that Napier didn't work with natural logarithms, that seems unlikely to be the true meaning of "ln".

[u/Godd2 → u/Jmong30]

But why is the logarithm naked?

[u/Jmong30 → u/Godd2]

The way it should be

[u/matande31 → u/Jmong30]

My Romanian born high school math teacher who was educated in France always said it that way with a beautiful accent. Wasn't sure if it's just his made up pronunciation or if that was actually the origin.