Why #f(x)=ln(x^x)# is not the same as #g(x)=x·ln(x)#?

There's a property in logaritms that says:
#k·log_b(a)=log_b(a^k)#

so #g(x)=x·ln(x)# should be the same as #f(x)=ln(x^x)#, but if we substitute some point we can easly see that it's not true, for example when #x=-2# fuction #g(x)# has no solutions but fuction #f(x)# does:
#g(-2)=-2ln(-2)=Undefi n ed#
#f(-2)=ln((-2)^(-2))=ln(1/4)~=-1.386#

Why is that?

1 Answer
Nov 22, 2017

#x>0#

Explanation:

This is a very good question. So, the function #h(x)=lnx# is defined when #x>0#

Having this in mind you cannot replace the value for #x=-2#
in any of the 2 functions. Having put for #x=-2# in #f# in the first place is a faulty thinking because for that value its undefined in either case.

For #x>0# you can see that you get the same values

example: #lnx^k# , for #x=-2 , k=2n>0 or k=2n+1# #----># undefined