logarithmiclike

Logarithmiclike is an informal term used to describe functions whose growth rate resembles that of the natural logarithm. In practice, a function f is said to be logarithmiclike on a sufficiently large domain if its growth is asymptotically proportional to log x; that is, there exist positive constants c1, c2 and a threshold x0 such that c1 log x ≤ f(x) ≤ c2 log x for all x ≥ x0. In asymptotic notation, this is expressed as f(x) = Theta(log x).

This characterization means that logarithmiclike functions increase without bound, but at a very slow, sublinear pace compared with polynomial or exponential functions. The base of the logarithm only affects the constants, not the overall growth order. Examples of logarithmiclike functions include log x, log(x+1), and log(x^2+3). More generally, any function of the form a log x + b, or log(x^a + c) for positive constants a, b, c, is logarithmiclike because it remains bounded above and below by constant multiples of log x for large x.

Non-examples include functions with growth slower than any logarithm, such as log log x, when considered in some contexts, since log log x grows more slowly than log x, and functions with faster growth like sqrt(x) or x/log x, which are not Theta(log x). The term is typically used in informal discussions or specific notes rather than as a formal category in standard textbooks.

Logarithmiclike concepts are related to logarithmic scales, sublinear growth, and analyses where the lead term is a logarithm, such as certain algorithmic time complexities like Theta(log n).