List Of Lessons On Basics And Operations On Exponents

Introduction

Exponent or power is the shorter way of writing the repeated multiplication of a number. In general, if a number n is multiplied three times repeatedly, which can be written as n × n × n, can also be written in the shorter way of exponents as n³.

Over the period of time, the mathematicians used their own way to write such repeated multiplications. Archimedes used powers of 10 and proved the law the laws of ${10}^a.{10}^b={10}^{\mathrm{a\; +\; b}}$. Al-Khwarizmi also used the notations of square and cube while solving mathematical problems. Jost Bürgi, the Swiss mathematician, used Roman numerals to write exponent forms. René Descartes used modern notation of numbers but only for powers greater than 2.

Later powers were also adapted in writing units of measurements where units are repeated more than one time. For example, in area the units are repeated two times, so it can be written in exponent form as m² (meter square) and the units of volume can be written in exponent form as m³ (meter cube).