Liouville's theorem gives such a proof for antiderivatives of functions like $e^x/x$ or $e^{x^2}$, and differential Galois theory extends that to Bessel functions, say. But what tools exist for implicit functions like Lambert's W?



How to prove Lambert's W function is not elementary?
It seems that the non-linear differential equation satisfied by the Lambert $W$ function is simple enough for this question to have already been answered. This paper proves that the Lambert $W$ is non-elementary by appealing to a result of Rosenlicht (1969):



> 
> Bronstein, M., Corless, R. M., Davenport, J. H. and Jeffrey, D. J.
> (2008) Algebraic properties of the Lambert W Function from a
> result of Rosenlicht and of Liouville. *Integral Transforms and
> Special Functions*, **19** (10). pp. 709-712.
> <https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10652460802332342>
> 
> 
> 


The argument runs roughly as follows. First note that $W(x)$ satisfies a two-variable algebraic-differential system, where the differential part has a special form:


\begin{equation\*}
 W e^W = x \implies W'\!/W + W' = 1/x \implies \{Y = x/W,\; Y'\!/Y = W'\} .
\end{equation\*}


Now, consider the differential field $\mathbb{C}(x)(Y,W)$ where $x'=1$, $Y'/Y = W'$ and $f(x,Y,W)=0$, with $f$ polynomial in $Y$ and $W$ over $\mathbb{C}(x)$. According to a more general result of Rosenlicht, the field $\mathbb{C}(x)(Y,W)$ is Liouvillian only if $Y$ and $W$ are algebraic over $\mathbb{C}(x)$. So, if $W(x)$ were elementary (elementary is a special case of Liouvillian) then it would be algebraic.


It remains to check that $W(x)$ is not algebraic. The above article shows that as well. I'll just leave it at saying that it follows from the fact that it satisfies a transcendental equation.


