Magnitude (mathematics) their magnitudes is called a norm. A vector space endowed with a norm, such as the Euclidean space, is called a normed vector space. Not all vector spaces are normed. In a pseudo-Euclidean space, the magnitude of a vector is the value of the quadratic form for that vector. When comparing magnitudes, a logarithmic scale is often used. Examples include the loudness of a sound (measured in decibels), the brightness of a star, and the Richter scale of earthquake intensity. Logarithmic magnitudes can be negative. It is not meaningful to simply add or subtract them. Orders of magnitude denote differences
Seismic magnitude scales times. As originally defined by m was based on the maximum amplitude of waves in the first 10 seconds or more. However, the length of the period influences the magnitude obtained. Early USGS/NEIC practice was to measure on the first second (just the first few P-waves), but since 1978 they measure the first twenty seconds. The modern practice is to measure short-period scale at less than three seconds, while the broadband scale is measured at periods of up to 30 seconds. The regional mb scale – also denoted mb_Lg, mbLg, MLg (USGS), Mn, and m – was developed by for