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TL;DR

Logarithm Estimation Using Key Anchors: A canonical quantitative trading interview question at intermediate difficulty. Commonly asked at SIG, Optiver, Jane Street, Akuna.

By Valenke Exam Prep Team·Last updated 2026-06-01
intermediateMental Approximation

Logarithm Estimation Using Key Anchors

Asked at: SIG, Optiver, Jane Street, Akuna

Problem
Estimate log2(1000)\log_2(1000), ln(50)\ln(50), and log10(7)\log_{10}(7) mentally with less than 2% error. What anchor values and interpolation techniques do you use?
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