The Risch algorithm is used to integrate elementary functions. These are functions obtained by composing exponentials, logarithms, radicals, trigonometric functions, and the four arithmetic operations. Laplace solved this problem for the case of rational functions, as he showed that the indefinite integral of a rational function is a rational function and a finite number of constant multiples of logarithms of rational functions. The algorithm suggested by Laplace is usually described in calculus textbooks; as a computer program, it was finally implemented in the 1960s. Liouville formulated the problem that is solved by the Risch algorithm. Liouville proved by analytical means that if there is an elementary solution to the equation then there exist constants and functions and in the field generated by such that the solution is of the form Risch developed a method that allows one to consider only a finite set of functions of Liouville's form. The intuition for the Risch algorithm comes from the behavior of the exponential and logarithm functions under differentiation. For the function, where and are differentiable functions, we have so if were in the result of an indefinite integration, it should be expected to be inside the integral. Also, as then if were in the result of an integration, then only a few powers of the logarithm should be expected.
Problem examples
Finding an elementary antiderivative is very sensitive to details. For instance, the following algebraic function has an elementary antiderivative: namely: But if the constant term 71 is changed to 72, it is not possible to represent the antiderivative in terms of elementary functions. Some computer algebra systems may here return an antiderivative in terms of non-elementary functions, which are outside the scope of the Risch algorithm. The following is a more complex example that involves both algebraic and transcendental functions: In fact, the antiderivative of this function has a fairly short form:
Implementation
Transforming Risch's theoretical algorithm into an algorithm that can be effectively executed by a computer was a complex task which took a long time. The case of the purely transcendental functions is relatively easy and was implemented early in most computer algebra systems. The first implementation was done by Joel Moses in Macsyma soon after the publication of Risch's paper. The case of purely algebraic functions was solved and implemented in Reduce by James H. Davenport. The general case was solved and implemented in Scratchpad, a precursor of Axiom, by Manuel Bronstein.
Decidability
The Risch algorithm applied to general elementary functions is not an algorithm but a semi-algorithm because it needs to check, as a part of its operation, if certain expressions are equivalent to zero, in particular in the constant field. For expressions that involve only functions commonly taken to be elementary it is not known whether an algorithm performing such a check exists or not ; moreover, if one adds the absolute value function to the list of elementary functions, it is known that no such algorithm exists; see Richardson's theorem. Note that this issue also arises in the polynomial division algorithm; this algorithm will fail if it cannot correctly determine whether coefficients vanish identically. Virtually every non-trivial algorithm relating to polynomials uses the polynomial division algorithm, the Risch algorithm included. If the constant field is computable, i.e., for elements not dependent on, the problem of zero-equivalence is decidable, then the Risch algorithm is a complete algorithm. Examples of computable constant fields are and, i.e., rational numbers and rational functions in with rational number coefficients, respectively, where is an indeterminate that does not depend on. This is also an issue in the Gaussian elimination matrix algorithm, which is also necessary for many parts of the Risch algorithm. Gaussian elimination will produce incorrect results if it cannot correctly determine if a pivot is identically zero.
