Elementary function


In mathematics, an elementary function is a function of a single variable composed of particular simple functions.
Elementary functions are typically defined as a sum, product, and/or composition of finitely many polynomials, rational functions, trigonometric and exponential functions, and their inverse functions.
Elementary functions were introduced by Joseph Liouville in a series of papers from 1833 to 1841. An algebraic treatment of elementary functions was started by Joseph Fels Ritt in the 1930s.

Examples

Basic examples

The elementary functions include:
Some elementary functions, such as roots, logarithms, or inverse trigonometric functions, are not entire functions and may be multivalued.

Composite examples

Examples of elementary functions include:
The last function is equal to, the inverse cosine, in the entire complex plane.
All monomials, polynomials and rational functions are elementary. Also, the absolute value function, for real, is also elementary as it can be expressed as the composition of a power and root of :.

Non-elementary functions

An example of a function that is not elementary is the error function
a fact that may not be immediately obvious, but can be proven using the Risch algorithm.
It follows directly from the definition that the set of elementary functions is closed under arithmetic operations and composition. The elementary functions are closed under differentiation. They are not closed under limits and infinite sums. Importantly, the elementary functions are closed under integration, as shown by Liouville's theorem, see Nonelementary integral. The Liouvillian functions are defined as the elementary functions and, recursively, the integrals of the Liouvillian functions.

Differential algebra

The mathematical definition of an elementary function, or a function in elementary form, is considered in the context of differential algebra. A differential algebra is an algebra with the extra operation of derivation. Using the derivation operation new equations can be written and their solutions used in extensions of the algebra. By starting with the field of rational functions, two special types of transcendental extensions can be added to the field building a tower containing elementary functions.
A differential field F is a field F0 together with a derivation map u → ∂u. The derivation captures the properties of differentiation, so that for any two elements of the base field, the derivation is linear
and satisfies the Leibniz product rule
An element h is a constant if ∂h = 0. If the base field is over the rationals, care must be taken when extending the field to add the needed transcendental constants.
A function u of a differential extension F of a differential field F is an elementary function over F if the function u