1. The user's message is just "log," which is a general term related to logarithms. 2. To explain logarithms briefly: The logarithm base $b$ of a number $x$ answers the question: "To what power must we raise $b$ to get $x$?" This is written as $\log_b x = y$ which means $b^y = x$. 3. There are common logarithms such as: - **Common log**: base 10, written as $\log x$ which means $\log_{10} x$. - **Natural log**: base $e \approx 2.718$, written as $\ln x$ which means $\log_e x$. 4. Example: To solve $\log_2 8$, we ask "2 to what power equals 8?" Since $2^3=8$, then $\log_2 8=3$. This is a basic overview of the logarithm function.