When does a function NOT have an antiderivative? Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara Planned maintenance scheduled April 23, 2019 at 23:30 UTC (7:30pm US/Eastern)How can you prove that a function has no closed form integral?Does L'Hôpital's work the other way?Finding volumes - when to use double integrals and triple integrals?Why does a function have to be bounded to be integrable?Proof that order of integration does not matter for non-continuous functionswhy we say this function have closed form while the other doesn't?Antiderivative of unbounded function?antiderivative of jump-discontinuous functionWhy is it legal to take the antiderivative of both sides of an equation?why $int sqrt(sin x)^2, mathrmdx = int |sin x| ,mathrmdx$Why does the antiderivative of $frac1x$ have to be $0$ at precisely $x=1$? (when $C = 0$)

.bashrc alias for a command with fixed second parameter

One-one communication

Marquee sign letters

Why is a lens darker than other ones when applying the same settings?

Why BitLocker does not use RSA

Can gravitational waves pass through a black hole?

Does the transliteration of 'Dravidian' exist in Hindu scripture? Does 'Dravida' refer to a Geographical area or an ethnic group?

Is the time—manner—place ordering of adverbials an oversimplification?

Statistical analysis applied to methods coming out of Machine Learning

Noise in Eigenvalues plot

Why are current probes so expensive?

Centre cell vertically in tabularx

As a dual citizen, my US passport will expire one day after traveling to the US. Will this work?

What is the proper term for etching or digging of wall to hide conduit of cables

latest version of QGIS fails to edit attribute table of GeoJSON file

Problem with display of presentation

Should man-made satellites feature an intelligent inverted "cow catcher"?

Understanding piped command in Gnu/Linux

In musical terms, what properties are varied by the human voice to produce different words / syllables?

Found this skink in my tomato plant bucket. Is he trapped? Or could he leave if he wanted?

The bible of geometry: Is there a modern treatment of geometries from the most primitive to the most advanced?

How does the body cool itself in a stillsuit?

Centre cell contents vertically

Is this Half dragon Quaggoth Balanced



When does a function NOT have an antiderivative?



Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
Planned maintenance scheduled April 23, 2019 at 23:30 UTC (7:30pm US/Eastern)How can you prove that a function has no closed form integral?Does L'Hôpital's work the other way?Finding volumes - when to use double integrals and triple integrals?Why does a function have to be bounded to be integrable?Proof that order of integration does not matter for non-continuous functionswhy we say this function have closed form while the other doesn't?Antiderivative of unbounded function?antiderivative of jump-discontinuous functionWhy is it legal to take the antiderivative of both sides of an equation?why $int sqrt(sin x)^2, mathrmdx = int |sin x| ,mathrmdx$Why does the antiderivative of $frac1x$ have to be $0$ at precisely $x=1$? (when $C = 0$)










1












$begingroup$


I know this question may sound naïve but why can't we write $int e^x^2 dx$ as $int e^2x dx$? The former does not have an antiderivative, while the latter has.



In light of this question, what are sufficient conditions for a function NOT to have an antiderivative. That is, do we need careful examination of a function to say it does not have an antiderivative or is there any way that once you see the function, you can right away say it does not have an antiderivative?










share|cite|improve this question









$endgroup$







  • 6




    $begingroup$
    Maybe because $x^2$ isn't the same as $2x$?
    $endgroup$
    – Lord Shark the Unknown
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Can't we write $a^b^c$ as $a^bc$?
    $endgroup$
    – Rob
    4 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    $$e^x^2=e^xcdot xneq e^xcdot e^x = e^x+x=e^2x$$
    $endgroup$
    – Don Thousand
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    $$(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$$$$a^(b^c)neq a^bcdot c$$
    $endgroup$
    – Don Thousand
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    $(e^x)^2$ would be where you use the rule that you're thinking of.
    $endgroup$
    – Tartaglia's Stutter
    4 hours ago















1












$begingroup$


I know this question may sound naïve but why can't we write $int e^x^2 dx$ as $int e^2x dx$? The former does not have an antiderivative, while the latter has.



In light of this question, what are sufficient conditions for a function NOT to have an antiderivative. That is, do we need careful examination of a function to say it does not have an antiderivative or is there any way that once you see the function, you can right away say it does not have an antiderivative?










share|cite|improve this question









$endgroup$







  • 6




    $begingroup$
    Maybe because $x^2$ isn't the same as $2x$?
    $endgroup$
    – Lord Shark the Unknown
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Can't we write $a^b^c$ as $a^bc$?
    $endgroup$
    – Rob
    4 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    $$e^x^2=e^xcdot xneq e^xcdot e^x = e^x+x=e^2x$$
    $endgroup$
    – Don Thousand
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    $$(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$$$$a^(b^c)neq a^bcdot c$$
    $endgroup$
    – Don Thousand
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    $(e^x)^2$ would be where you use the rule that you're thinking of.
    $endgroup$
    – Tartaglia's Stutter
    4 hours ago













1












1








1





$begingroup$


I know this question may sound naïve but why can't we write $int e^x^2 dx$ as $int e^2x dx$? The former does not have an antiderivative, while the latter has.



In light of this question, what are sufficient conditions for a function NOT to have an antiderivative. That is, do we need careful examination of a function to say it does not have an antiderivative or is there any way that once you see the function, you can right away say it does not have an antiderivative?










share|cite|improve this question









$endgroup$




I know this question may sound naïve but why can't we write $int e^x^2 dx$ as $int e^2x dx$? The former does not have an antiderivative, while the latter has.



In light of this question, what are sufficient conditions for a function NOT to have an antiderivative. That is, do we need careful examination of a function to say it does not have an antiderivative or is there any way that once you see the function, you can right away say it does not have an antiderivative?







integration






share|cite|improve this question













share|cite|improve this question











share|cite|improve this question




share|cite|improve this question










asked 4 hours ago









RobRob

333110




333110







  • 6




    $begingroup$
    Maybe because $x^2$ isn't the same as $2x$?
    $endgroup$
    – Lord Shark the Unknown
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Can't we write $a^b^c$ as $a^bc$?
    $endgroup$
    – Rob
    4 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    $$e^x^2=e^xcdot xneq e^xcdot e^x = e^x+x=e^2x$$
    $endgroup$
    – Don Thousand
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    $$(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$$$$a^(b^c)neq a^bcdot c$$
    $endgroup$
    – Don Thousand
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    $(e^x)^2$ would be where you use the rule that you're thinking of.
    $endgroup$
    – Tartaglia's Stutter
    4 hours ago












  • 6




    $begingroup$
    Maybe because $x^2$ isn't the same as $2x$?
    $endgroup$
    – Lord Shark the Unknown
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    Can't we write $a^b^c$ as $a^bc$?
    $endgroup$
    – Rob
    4 hours ago






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    $$e^x^2=e^xcdot xneq e^xcdot e^x = e^x+x=e^2x$$
    $endgroup$
    – Don Thousand
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    $$(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$$$$a^(b^c)neq a^bcdot c$$
    $endgroup$
    – Don Thousand
    4 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    $(e^x)^2$ would be where you use the rule that you're thinking of.
    $endgroup$
    – Tartaglia's Stutter
    4 hours ago







6




6




$begingroup$
Maybe because $x^2$ isn't the same as $2x$?
$endgroup$
– Lord Shark the Unknown
4 hours ago




$begingroup$
Maybe because $x^2$ isn't the same as $2x$?
$endgroup$
– Lord Shark the Unknown
4 hours ago












$begingroup$
Can't we write $a^b^c$ as $a^bc$?
$endgroup$
– Rob
4 hours ago




$begingroup$
Can't we write $a^b^c$ as $a^bc$?
$endgroup$
– Rob
4 hours ago




1




1




$begingroup$
$$e^x^2=e^xcdot xneq e^xcdot e^x = e^x+x=e^2x$$
$endgroup$
– Don Thousand
4 hours ago




$begingroup$
$$e^x^2=e^xcdot xneq e^xcdot e^x = e^x+x=e^2x$$
$endgroup$
– Don Thousand
4 hours ago












$begingroup$
$$(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$$$$a^(b^c)neq a^bcdot c$$
$endgroup$
– Don Thousand
4 hours ago




$begingroup$
$$(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$$$$a^(b^c)neq a^bcdot c$$
$endgroup$
– Don Thousand
4 hours ago












$begingroup$
$(e^x)^2$ would be where you use the rule that you're thinking of.
$endgroup$
– Tartaglia's Stutter
4 hours ago




$begingroup$
$(e^x)^2$ would be where you use the rule that you're thinking of.
$endgroup$
– Tartaglia's Stutter
4 hours ago










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















2












$begingroup$

As you might have realised, exponentiation is not associative:



$$left(a^bright)^c ne a^left(b^cright)$$



So what should $a^b^c$ mean? The convention is that exponentiation is right associative:



$$a^b^c = a^left(b^cright)$$



Because the otherwise left-associative exponentiation is just less useful and redundant, as it can be represented by multiplication inside the power (again as you might have realised):



$$a^bc = left(a^bright)^c$$



Wikipedia on associativity of exponentiation.






share|cite|improve this answer









$endgroup$




















    1












    $begingroup$

    The exponential expression $a^b^c$ is equal to $a^(b^c)$. It is not equal to $(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$ as you seem to think it is. In general an exponential is evaluated from right to left with the highest term evaluated first. That is to say
    $$largex_0^x_1^x_2^dots^x_n=x_0^left(x_1^left(x_2^left(dots^(x_n)right)right)right)$$



    For the second part of your question see this duplicate.






    share|cite|improve this answer









    $endgroup$












    • $begingroup$
      I didn't think $a^(b^c) = (a^b)^c$. Once we put parentheses it is all clear. But I think one would not be wrong for interpreting $e^x^2$ as $e^2x$, since without parentheses it can mean both things . Am I correct?
      $endgroup$
      – Rob
      3 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      NO! Without parentheses the expression $a^b^c$ is always equal to $a^left(b^cright)$. See here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponentiation#Identities_and_properties
      $endgroup$
      – Peter Foreman
      3 hours ago











    • $begingroup$
      I see! Well, I learnt something new that bothered me for a long time. So $e ^ x^2$ is understood as $e^(x^2)$. Also the link you sent, which I could not find at first, is very interesting but a little advanced for me.
      $endgroup$
      – Rob
      3 hours ago


















    1












    $begingroup$

    To answer the titular question, there's a result in real analysis that shows that derivatives satisfy have the intermediate value property (just like continuous functions). It follows that a function that skips values cannot be the derivative of anything in the usual sense. This implies that functions with jump discontinuities (like the Heaviside step, for example) cannot be the derivative of anything.






    share|cite|improve this answer









    $endgroup$












    • $begingroup$
      Correct me if I am wrong, but that does not explain why $e^x^2$ has no antiderivative, right? I understand you are answering the titular question.
      $endgroup$
      – Rob
      3 hours ago










    • $begingroup$
      $e^x^2$ does have an antiderivative, but it can't be expressed in terms of elementary functions. Having an antiderivative and having an elementary antiderivative are not the same thing.
      $endgroup$
      – MathIsFun
      2 hours ago


















    0












    $begingroup$

    Liouville's theorem:




    In mathematics, Liouville's theorem, originally formulated by Joseph Liouville in 1833 to 1841, places an important restriction on antiderivatives that can be expressed as elementary functions.



    The antiderivatives of certain elementary functions cannot themselves be expressed as elementary functions. A standard example of such a function is $e^-x^2$, whose antiderivative is (with a multiplier of a constant) the error function, familiar from statistics. Other examples include the functions $frac sin ( x ) x $ and $ x^x $.




    From wikipedia. See the article for more details.






    share|cite|improve this answer









    $endgroup$













      Your Answer








      StackExchange.ready(function()
      var channelOptions =
      tags: "".split(" "),
      id: "69"
      ;
      initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

      StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
      // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
      if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
      StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
      createEditor();
      );

      else
      createEditor();

      );

      function createEditor()
      StackExchange.prepareEditor(
      heartbeatType: 'answer',
      autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
      convertImagesToLinks: true,
      noModals: true,
      showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
      reputationToPostImages: 10,
      bindNavPrevention: true,
      postfix: "",
      imageUploader:
      brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
      contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
      allowUrls: true
      ,
      noCode: true, onDemand: true,
      discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
      ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
      );



      );













      draft saved

      draft discarded


















      StackExchange.ready(
      function ()
      StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f3196128%2fwhen-does-a-function-not-have-an-antiderivative%23new-answer', 'question_page');

      );

      Post as a guest















      Required, but never shown

























      4 Answers
      4






      active

      oldest

      votes








      4 Answers
      4






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes









      2












      $begingroup$

      As you might have realised, exponentiation is not associative:



      $$left(a^bright)^c ne a^left(b^cright)$$



      So what should $a^b^c$ mean? The convention is that exponentiation is right associative:



      $$a^b^c = a^left(b^cright)$$



      Because the otherwise left-associative exponentiation is just less useful and redundant, as it can be represented by multiplication inside the power (again as you might have realised):



      $$a^bc = left(a^bright)^c$$



      Wikipedia on associativity of exponentiation.






      share|cite|improve this answer









      $endgroup$

















        2












        $begingroup$

        As you might have realised, exponentiation is not associative:



        $$left(a^bright)^c ne a^left(b^cright)$$



        So what should $a^b^c$ mean? The convention is that exponentiation is right associative:



        $$a^b^c = a^left(b^cright)$$



        Because the otherwise left-associative exponentiation is just less useful and redundant, as it can be represented by multiplication inside the power (again as you might have realised):



        $$a^bc = left(a^bright)^c$$



        Wikipedia on associativity of exponentiation.






        share|cite|improve this answer









        $endgroup$















          2












          2








          2





          $begingroup$

          As you might have realised, exponentiation is not associative:



          $$left(a^bright)^c ne a^left(b^cright)$$



          So what should $a^b^c$ mean? The convention is that exponentiation is right associative:



          $$a^b^c = a^left(b^cright)$$



          Because the otherwise left-associative exponentiation is just less useful and redundant, as it can be represented by multiplication inside the power (again as you might have realised):



          $$a^bc = left(a^bright)^c$$



          Wikipedia on associativity of exponentiation.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$



          As you might have realised, exponentiation is not associative:



          $$left(a^bright)^c ne a^left(b^cright)$$



          So what should $a^b^c$ mean? The convention is that exponentiation is right associative:



          $$a^b^c = a^left(b^cright)$$



          Because the otherwise left-associative exponentiation is just less useful and redundant, as it can be represented by multiplication inside the power (again as you might have realised):



          $$a^bc = left(a^bright)^c$$



          Wikipedia on associativity of exponentiation.







          share|cite|improve this answer












          share|cite|improve this answer



          share|cite|improve this answer










          answered 3 hours ago









          peterwhypeterwhy

          12.3k21229




          12.3k21229





















              1












              $begingroup$

              The exponential expression $a^b^c$ is equal to $a^(b^c)$. It is not equal to $(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$ as you seem to think it is. In general an exponential is evaluated from right to left with the highest term evaluated first. That is to say
              $$largex_0^x_1^x_2^dots^x_n=x_0^left(x_1^left(x_2^left(dots^(x_n)right)right)right)$$



              For the second part of your question see this duplicate.






              share|cite|improve this answer









              $endgroup$












              • $begingroup$
                I didn't think $a^(b^c) = (a^b)^c$. Once we put parentheses it is all clear. But I think one would not be wrong for interpreting $e^x^2$ as $e^2x$, since without parentheses it can mean both things . Am I correct?
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago










              • $begingroup$
                NO! Without parentheses the expression $a^b^c$ is always equal to $a^left(b^cright)$. See here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponentiation#Identities_and_properties
                $endgroup$
                – Peter Foreman
                3 hours ago











              • $begingroup$
                I see! Well, I learnt something new that bothered me for a long time. So $e ^ x^2$ is understood as $e^(x^2)$. Also the link you sent, which I could not find at first, is very interesting but a little advanced for me.
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago















              1












              $begingroup$

              The exponential expression $a^b^c$ is equal to $a^(b^c)$. It is not equal to $(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$ as you seem to think it is. In general an exponential is evaluated from right to left with the highest term evaluated first. That is to say
              $$largex_0^x_1^x_2^dots^x_n=x_0^left(x_1^left(x_2^left(dots^(x_n)right)right)right)$$



              For the second part of your question see this duplicate.






              share|cite|improve this answer









              $endgroup$












              • $begingroup$
                I didn't think $a^(b^c) = (a^b)^c$. Once we put parentheses it is all clear. But I think one would not be wrong for interpreting $e^x^2$ as $e^2x$, since without parentheses it can mean both things . Am I correct?
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago










              • $begingroup$
                NO! Without parentheses the expression $a^b^c$ is always equal to $a^left(b^cright)$. See here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponentiation#Identities_and_properties
                $endgroup$
                – Peter Foreman
                3 hours ago











              • $begingroup$
                I see! Well, I learnt something new that bothered me for a long time. So $e ^ x^2$ is understood as $e^(x^2)$. Also the link you sent, which I could not find at first, is very interesting but a little advanced for me.
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago













              1












              1








              1





              $begingroup$

              The exponential expression $a^b^c$ is equal to $a^(b^c)$. It is not equal to $(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$ as you seem to think it is. In general an exponential is evaluated from right to left with the highest term evaluated first. That is to say
              $$largex_0^x_1^x_2^dots^x_n=x_0^left(x_1^left(x_2^left(dots^(x_n)right)right)right)$$



              For the second part of your question see this duplicate.






              share|cite|improve this answer









              $endgroup$



              The exponential expression $a^b^c$ is equal to $a^(b^c)$. It is not equal to $(a^b)^c=a^bcdot c$ as you seem to think it is. In general an exponential is evaluated from right to left with the highest term evaluated first. That is to say
              $$largex_0^x_1^x_2^dots^x_n=x_0^left(x_1^left(x_2^left(dots^(x_n)right)right)right)$$



              For the second part of your question see this duplicate.







              share|cite|improve this answer












              share|cite|improve this answer



              share|cite|improve this answer










              answered 3 hours ago









              Peter ForemanPeter Foreman

              8,4971321




              8,4971321











              • $begingroup$
                I didn't think $a^(b^c) = (a^b)^c$. Once we put parentheses it is all clear. But I think one would not be wrong for interpreting $e^x^2$ as $e^2x$, since without parentheses it can mean both things . Am I correct?
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago










              • $begingroup$
                NO! Without parentheses the expression $a^b^c$ is always equal to $a^left(b^cright)$. See here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponentiation#Identities_and_properties
                $endgroup$
                – Peter Foreman
                3 hours ago











              • $begingroup$
                I see! Well, I learnt something new that bothered me for a long time. So $e ^ x^2$ is understood as $e^(x^2)$. Also the link you sent, which I could not find at first, is very interesting but a little advanced for me.
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago
















              • $begingroup$
                I didn't think $a^(b^c) = (a^b)^c$. Once we put parentheses it is all clear. But I think one would not be wrong for interpreting $e^x^2$ as $e^2x$, since without parentheses it can mean both things . Am I correct?
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago










              • $begingroup$
                NO! Without parentheses the expression $a^b^c$ is always equal to $a^left(b^cright)$. See here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponentiation#Identities_and_properties
                $endgroup$
                – Peter Foreman
                3 hours ago











              • $begingroup$
                I see! Well, I learnt something new that bothered me for a long time. So $e ^ x^2$ is understood as $e^(x^2)$. Also the link you sent, which I could not find at first, is very interesting but a little advanced for me.
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago















              $begingroup$
              I didn't think $a^(b^c) = (a^b)^c$. Once we put parentheses it is all clear. But I think one would not be wrong for interpreting $e^x^2$ as $e^2x$, since without parentheses it can mean both things . Am I correct?
              $endgroup$
              – Rob
              3 hours ago




              $begingroup$
              I didn't think $a^(b^c) = (a^b)^c$. Once we put parentheses it is all clear. But I think one would not be wrong for interpreting $e^x^2$ as $e^2x$, since without parentheses it can mean both things . Am I correct?
              $endgroup$
              – Rob
              3 hours ago












              $begingroup$
              NO! Without parentheses the expression $a^b^c$ is always equal to $a^left(b^cright)$. See here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponentiation#Identities_and_properties
              $endgroup$
              – Peter Foreman
              3 hours ago





              $begingroup$
              NO! Without parentheses the expression $a^b^c$ is always equal to $a^left(b^cright)$. See here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponentiation#Identities_and_properties
              $endgroup$
              – Peter Foreman
              3 hours ago













              $begingroup$
              I see! Well, I learnt something new that bothered me for a long time. So $e ^ x^2$ is understood as $e^(x^2)$. Also the link you sent, which I could not find at first, is very interesting but a little advanced for me.
              $endgroup$
              – Rob
              3 hours ago




              $begingroup$
              I see! Well, I learnt something new that bothered me for a long time. So $e ^ x^2$ is understood as $e^(x^2)$. Also the link you sent, which I could not find at first, is very interesting but a little advanced for me.
              $endgroup$
              – Rob
              3 hours ago











              1












              $begingroup$

              To answer the titular question, there's a result in real analysis that shows that derivatives satisfy have the intermediate value property (just like continuous functions). It follows that a function that skips values cannot be the derivative of anything in the usual sense. This implies that functions with jump discontinuities (like the Heaviside step, for example) cannot be the derivative of anything.






              share|cite|improve this answer









              $endgroup$












              • $begingroup$
                Correct me if I am wrong, but that does not explain why $e^x^2$ has no antiderivative, right? I understand you are answering the titular question.
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago










              • $begingroup$
                $e^x^2$ does have an antiderivative, but it can't be expressed in terms of elementary functions. Having an antiderivative and having an elementary antiderivative are not the same thing.
                $endgroup$
                – MathIsFun
                2 hours ago















              1












              $begingroup$

              To answer the titular question, there's a result in real analysis that shows that derivatives satisfy have the intermediate value property (just like continuous functions). It follows that a function that skips values cannot be the derivative of anything in the usual sense. This implies that functions with jump discontinuities (like the Heaviside step, for example) cannot be the derivative of anything.






              share|cite|improve this answer









              $endgroup$












              • $begingroup$
                Correct me if I am wrong, but that does not explain why $e^x^2$ has no antiderivative, right? I understand you are answering the titular question.
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago










              • $begingroup$
                $e^x^2$ does have an antiderivative, but it can't be expressed in terms of elementary functions. Having an antiderivative and having an elementary antiderivative are not the same thing.
                $endgroup$
                – MathIsFun
                2 hours ago













              1












              1








              1





              $begingroup$

              To answer the titular question, there's a result in real analysis that shows that derivatives satisfy have the intermediate value property (just like continuous functions). It follows that a function that skips values cannot be the derivative of anything in the usual sense. This implies that functions with jump discontinuities (like the Heaviside step, for example) cannot be the derivative of anything.






              share|cite|improve this answer









              $endgroup$



              To answer the titular question, there's a result in real analysis that shows that derivatives satisfy have the intermediate value property (just like continuous functions). It follows that a function that skips values cannot be the derivative of anything in the usual sense. This implies that functions with jump discontinuities (like the Heaviside step, for example) cannot be the derivative of anything.







              share|cite|improve this answer












              share|cite|improve this answer



              share|cite|improve this answer










              answered 3 hours ago









              AllawonderAllawonder

              2,349617




              2,349617











              • $begingroup$
                Correct me if I am wrong, but that does not explain why $e^x^2$ has no antiderivative, right? I understand you are answering the titular question.
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago










              • $begingroup$
                $e^x^2$ does have an antiderivative, but it can't be expressed in terms of elementary functions. Having an antiderivative and having an elementary antiderivative are not the same thing.
                $endgroup$
                – MathIsFun
                2 hours ago
















              • $begingroup$
                Correct me if I am wrong, but that does not explain why $e^x^2$ has no antiderivative, right? I understand you are answering the titular question.
                $endgroup$
                – Rob
                3 hours ago










              • $begingroup$
                $e^x^2$ does have an antiderivative, but it can't be expressed in terms of elementary functions. Having an antiderivative and having an elementary antiderivative are not the same thing.
                $endgroup$
                – MathIsFun
                2 hours ago















              $begingroup$
              Correct me if I am wrong, but that does not explain why $e^x^2$ has no antiderivative, right? I understand you are answering the titular question.
              $endgroup$
              – Rob
              3 hours ago




              $begingroup$
              Correct me if I am wrong, but that does not explain why $e^x^2$ has no antiderivative, right? I understand you are answering the titular question.
              $endgroup$
              – Rob
              3 hours ago












              $begingroup$
              $e^x^2$ does have an antiderivative, but it can't be expressed in terms of elementary functions. Having an antiderivative and having an elementary antiderivative are not the same thing.
              $endgroup$
              – MathIsFun
              2 hours ago




              $begingroup$
              $e^x^2$ does have an antiderivative, but it can't be expressed in terms of elementary functions. Having an antiderivative and having an elementary antiderivative are not the same thing.
              $endgroup$
              – MathIsFun
              2 hours ago











              0












              $begingroup$

              Liouville's theorem:




              In mathematics, Liouville's theorem, originally formulated by Joseph Liouville in 1833 to 1841, places an important restriction on antiderivatives that can be expressed as elementary functions.



              The antiderivatives of certain elementary functions cannot themselves be expressed as elementary functions. A standard example of such a function is $e^-x^2$, whose antiderivative is (with a multiplier of a constant) the error function, familiar from statistics. Other examples include the functions $frac sin ( x ) x $ and $ x^x $.




              From wikipedia. See the article for more details.






              share|cite|improve this answer









              $endgroup$

















                0












                $begingroup$

                Liouville's theorem:




                In mathematics, Liouville's theorem, originally formulated by Joseph Liouville in 1833 to 1841, places an important restriction on antiderivatives that can be expressed as elementary functions.



                The antiderivatives of certain elementary functions cannot themselves be expressed as elementary functions. A standard example of such a function is $e^-x^2$, whose antiderivative is (with a multiplier of a constant) the error function, familiar from statistics. Other examples include the functions $frac sin ( x ) x $ and $ x^x $.




                From wikipedia. See the article for more details.






                share|cite|improve this answer









                $endgroup$















                  0












                  0








                  0





                  $begingroup$

                  Liouville's theorem:




                  In mathematics, Liouville's theorem, originally formulated by Joseph Liouville in 1833 to 1841, places an important restriction on antiderivatives that can be expressed as elementary functions.



                  The antiderivatives of certain elementary functions cannot themselves be expressed as elementary functions. A standard example of such a function is $e^-x^2$, whose antiderivative is (with a multiplier of a constant) the error function, familiar from statistics. Other examples include the functions $frac sin ( x ) x $ and $ x^x $.




                  From wikipedia. See the article for more details.






                  share|cite|improve this answer









                  $endgroup$



                  Liouville's theorem:




                  In mathematics, Liouville's theorem, originally formulated by Joseph Liouville in 1833 to 1841, places an important restriction on antiderivatives that can be expressed as elementary functions.



                  The antiderivatives of certain elementary functions cannot themselves be expressed as elementary functions. A standard example of such a function is $e^-x^2$, whose antiderivative is (with a multiplier of a constant) the error function, familiar from statistics. Other examples include the functions $frac sin ( x ) x $ and $ x^x $.




                  From wikipedia. See the article for more details.







                  share|cite|improve this answer












                  share|cite|improve this answer



                  share|cite|improve this answer










                  answered 18 mins ago









                  AccidentalFourierTransformAccidentalFourierTransform

                  1,462828




                  1,462828



























                      draft saved

                      draft discarded
















































                      Thanks for contributing an answer to Mathematics Stack Exchange!


                      • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                      But avoid


                      • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                      • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

                      Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.


                      To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                      draft saved


                      draft discarded














                      StackExchange.ready(
                      function ()
                      StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f3196128%2fwhen-does-a-function-not-have-an-antiderivative%23new-answer', 'question_page');

                      );

                      Post as a guest















                      Required, but never shown





















































                      Required, but never shown














                      Required, but never shown












                      Required, but never shown







                      Required, but never shown

































                      Required, but never shown














                      Required, but never shown












                      Required, but never shown







                      Required, but never shown







                      Popular posts from this blog

                      Bett Inhaltsverzeichnis Geschichte | Bettformen | Bettgrößen | Andere Bezeichnungen | Bettenmangel | Betten in der bildenden Kunst | Schlafmedizinische Gesichtspunkte | Siehe auch | Literatur | Weblinks | Einzelnachweise | NavigationsmenüBett, Bettstatt, BettstelleCommons: BettBabybetten: Anwendung, Ausstattungsmerkmale und VergleichskriterienWasserbetten. Vorurteile im TestHapfnNursch10.1007/s11818-012-0584-74006250-8AKS4329276-8

                      Luksemburg Sisukord Nimi | Asend | Loodus | Riigikord | Haldusjaotus | Rahvastik | Riigikaitse | Majandus | Taristu | Ajalugu | Eesti ja Luksemburgi suhted | Haridus | Kultuur | Vaata ka | Viited | Välislingid | Navigeerimismenüü50° N, 6° EÜlevaade Luksemburgi kaitsealadest.Luksemburgi rahvaarv. Statistikaamet.World Bank'i andmebaasÜlevaade Luksemburgi loodusest.Ülevaade Luksemburgi metsadest.Guy Colling. "Red List of the Vascular Plants of Luxembourg." Travaux scientifiques du Musée national d’histoire naturelle Luxembourg. 2005.Luxembourg’s biodiversity at risk.Maailma kahepaiksete andmebaas.Denis Lepage. "Luxembourg." Avibase.Ülevaade temperatuuridest. Luksemburgi meteoroloogiateenistus.Ülevaade Luksemburgist. Euroopa Liidu esinduse koduleht.Système politique. TerritoireÜlevaade Luksemburgi rahvastikust. Luksemburgi statistikaamet.Luksemburgi rahvastik. Luksemburgi statistikaamet.The World FactbookMonique Borsenberger, Paul Dickes. "Religions au Luxembourg. Quelle évolution entre 1999-2008". Luksemburgi statistikaamet. 2011.Luksemburgi peapiiskopkond. Catholic-Hierarchy.Luksemburgi armee koduleht.Luksemburgi armee relvastus.Eesti Välisministeerium.Luksemburgi rahvastik. Luksemburgi statistikaamet.Luksemburgi Eesti Seltsi koduleht.Helen Eelrand. "Raadio, mis muutis maailma." Eesti Päevaleht. 13. märts 2004.Ülevaade Luksemburgi haridussüsteemist.Ülevaade Luksemburgi keskkoolidest.Luksemburgr

                      Valle di Casies Indice Geografia fisica | Origini del nome | Storia | Società | Amministrazione | Sport | Note | Bibliografia | Voci correlate | Altri progetti | Collegamenti esterni | Menu di navigazione46°46′N 12°11′E / 46.766667°N 12.183333°E46.766667; 12.183333 (Valle di Casies)46°46′N 12°11′E / 46.766667°N 12.183333°E46.766667; 12.183333 (Valle di Casies)Sito istituzionaleAstat Censimento della popolazione 2011 - Determinazione della consistenza dei tre gruppi linguistici della Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano-Alto Adige - giugno 2012Numeri e fattiValle di CasiesDato IstatTabella dei gradi/giorno dei Comuni italiani raggruppati per Regione e Provincia26 agosto 1993, n. 412Heraldry of the World: GsiesStatistiche I.StatValCasies.comWikimedia CommonsWikimedia CommonsValle di CasiesSito ufficialeValle di CasiesMM14870458910042978-6