How do you simplify log(a^2 - b^2)

Answer 1

It's already what I would call simplified. You could expand it though. since a² - b² = (a + b)(a - b) so

log(a² - b²) = log[(a + b)(a - b)] and the logarithm of two things being multiplied equals the sum of the logs of the pieces so:

log(a² - b²) = log[(a + b)(a - b)] = log(a + b) + log(a - b)

But that's about it.