Definition of exponential

The word "exponential" has its roots in the Latin word "exponere," which means "to put forth" or "to expose." In mathematics, the term "exponential" was first used in the 17th century to describe a function that increases or decreases by a constant factor for each unit of time or magnitude. This concept was developed by French mathematician René Descartes and was later popularized by Sir Isaac Newton. The term "exponential" gained further significance with the work of 18th-century Italian mathematician Leonhard Euler, who introduced the notation "e" for the base of the natural logarithm. Euler's work on exponential functions and logarithms helped to establish the term as a fundamental concept in mathematics, particularly in the fields of calculus and probability theory. Since then, the term "exponential" has been widely used in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, often to describe growth, decay, or other rapid changes that follow an exponential pattern.