matplotlib Plotting Cookbook

Using a logarithmic scale

When visualizing data that varies across a very wide range, a logarithmic scale allows us to visualize variations that would otherwise be barely visible. In this recipe, we are going to show you how to manipulate the scaling system of a figure.

How to do it...

There are several ways to set up a logarithmic scale. The way it is done here works for any kind of figure and not only curve plots. In the following example, we set up a logarithmic scale that will apply to all plot elements:

import numpy as np import matplotlib.pyplot as plt X = np.linspace(1, 10, 1024) plt.yscale('log') plt.plot(X, X, c = 'k', lw = 2., label = r'$f(x)=x$') plt.plot(X, 10 ** X, c = '.75', ls = '--', lw = 2., label = r'$f(x)=e^x$') plt.plot(X, np.log(X), ...