: <math> \begin{align} \ell(\lambda) & = \ln \prod_{i=1}^n f(k_i \mid \lambda) \\ & = \sum_{i=1}^n \ln\!\left(\frac{e^{-\lambda}\lambda^{k_i}}{k_i!}\right) \\ & = -n\lambda + \left(\sum_{i=1}^n k_i\right) \ln(\lambda) - \sum_{i=1}^n \ln(k_i!).
We take the derivative of ''<math>\ell</math>'' with respect to ''λ'' and compare it to zero: .