2

Is there a theorem or method to prove that we can't express the antiderivative of some functions with elementary functions ? For example Gamma or Zeta or $\dfrac{\sin x}{x!}$? thanks

Moo
  • 11,311
Gustave
  • 1,523
  • 9
  • 20

1 Answers1

1

Yes, Liouville's theorem.

The use of such a result in order to prove the non-existence of an elementary primitive for some functions (among them, the famous $e^{-x^2}$) is explained in these notes by Brian Conrad.