TITLE: $\int\frac{dx}{x-3y}$ when $y(x-y)^2=x$?
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: If y is a function of x such that $y(x-y)^2=x$
Statement-I: $$\int\frac{dx}{x-3y}=\frac12\log[(x-y)^2-1]$$
  Because
Statement-II: $$\int\frac{dx}{x-3y}=\log(x-3y)+c$$
Question: Is Statement-I true? Is Statement-II true? Is Statement-II a correct explanation for Statement-I?

I can say that II is false because y is not a constant but indeeed a function, I don't know answers to other two questions.I am thinking that probably we have to eleiminate y from the given functional equation or do a clever substitution?

REPLY [10 votes]: This is one of the reasons I love G. H. Hardy's "A Course of Pure Mathematics". The current question is problem 16, page 260. He advises to use the substitution $t=x-y$. So that $y=x/t^2$ and then $t=x-x/t^2$. Finally we get $x=t^3/(t^2-1), y=t/(t^2-1)$. Then $$dx=\frac{t^4-3t^2}{(t^2-1)^2}\,dt,\, x-3y=\frac{t^3-3t}{t^2-1}$$ so that $$\int\frac{dx}{x-3y}=\int\frac{t}{t^2-1}\,dt=\frac{1}{2}\log(t^2-1)+C=\frac{1}{2}\log\{(x-y)^2-1\}+C$$ Hardy gives further examples:
1) $y^2(x-y)=x^2$ which is rationalized by $y=tx$.
2) $(x^2+y^2)^2=a^2(x^2-y^2)$ which is rationalized by $x^2+y^2=t(x-y)$. Thus if $$(x^2+y^2)^2=2c^2(x^2-y^2)$$ then $$\int\frac{dx}{y(x^2+y^2+c^2)}=-\frac{1}{c^2}\log\left(\frac{x^2+y^2}{x-y}\right)+C$$
There is a deep theory of rational parametrization of algebraic curves given by relation $f(x,y)=0$ with $f$ being a polynomial which is at work here. Hardy just gives a glimpse of the theory of algebraic curves here.