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Math Symbol-1 Using LaTex PDF

This document provides a concise summary of recommended features in LaTeX and two extension packages (amssymb and amsmath) for writing math formulas. It discusses how to enter inline and displayed math modes, use various environments for single-line and multi-line equations, assign labels and cross-references for automatic numbering, and introduces common math symbols and fonts. The guide is intended for users needing a brief overview of essential LaTeX math capabilities.

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Nicholas Thompson
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39 views

Math Symbol-1 Using LaTex PDF

This document provides a concise summary of recommended features in LaTeX and two extension packages (amssymb and amsmath) for writing math formulas. It discusses how to enter inline and displayed math modes, use various environments for single-line and multi-line equations, assign labels and cross-references for automatic numbering, and introduces common math symbols and fonts. The guide is intended for users needing a brief overview of essential LaTeX math capabilities.

Uploaded by

Nicholas Thompson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Short Math Guide for LATEX

Michael Downes
American Mathematical Society

Version 1.09 (2002-03-22), currently available at


http://www.ams.org/tex/short-math-guide.html
1. Introduction This is a concise summary of recommended features in LATEX and a
couple of extension packages for writing math formulas. Readers needing greater depth
of detail are referred to the sources listed in the bibliography, especially [Lamport], [LUG],
[AMUG], [LFG], [LGG], and [LC]. A certain amount of familiarity with standard LATEX
terminology is assumed; if your memory needs refreshing on the LATEX meaning of command,
optional argument, environment, package, and so forth, see [Lamport].
The features described here are available to you if you use LATEX with two extension
packages published by the American Mathematical Society: amssymb and amsmath. Thus,
the source file for this document begins with
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amssymb,amsmath}
The amssymb package might be omissible for documents whose math symbol usage is rela-
tively modest; the easiest way to test this is to leave out the amssymb reference and see if
any math symbols in the document produce ‘Undefined control sequence’ messages.
Many noteworthy features found in other packages are not covered here; see Section 10.
Regarding math symbols, please note especially that the list given here is not intended to be
comprehensive, but to illustrate such symbols as users will normally find already present in
their LATEX system and usable without installing any additional fonts or doing other setup
work.
If you have a need for a symbol not shown here, you will probably want to consult The
Comprehensive LATEX Symbols List (Pakin):
http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/symbols/comprehensive/.
2. Inline math formulas and displayed equations
2.1. The fundamentals Entering and leaving math mode in LATEX is normally done with
the following commands and environments.
inline formulas displayed equations

$ ... $ \[...\] unnumbered


\( . . . \)
\begin{equation*} unnumbered
...
\end{equation*}
\begin{equation} automatically
... numbered
\end{equation}
Note. Alternative environments \begin{math} . . . \end{math}, \begin{displaymath} . . . \end{displaymath}
are seldom needed in practice. Using the plain TEX notation $$ . . . $$ for displayed equations is not recom-
mended. Although it is not expressly forbidden in LATEX, it is not documented anywhere in the LATEX book
as being part of the LATEX command set, and it interferes with the proper operation of various features
such as the fleqn option.

Environments for handling equation groups and multi-line equations are shown in Table 1.

1
Short Math Guide for LATEX, version 1.09 (2002-03-22) 2

Table 1: Multi-line equations and equation groups (vertical lines indicating nominal mar-
gins).
\begin{equation}\label{xx}
\begin{split}
a& =b+c-d\\ a=b+c−d
& \quad +e-f\\ +e−f
(2.1)
& =g+h\\ =g+h
& =i =i
\end{split}
\end{equation}
\begin{multline}
a+b+c+d+e+f\\ a+b+c+d+e+f
+i+j+k+l+m+n +i+j+k+l+m+n (2.2)
\end{multline}
\begin{gather}
a_1=b_1+c_1\\ a1 = b1 + c1 (2.3)
a_2=b_2+c_2-d_2+e_2 a2 = b2 + c2 − d2 + e2 (2.4)
\end{gather}
\begin{align}
a_1& =b_1+c_1\\ a1 = b1 + c1 (2.5)
a_2& =b_2+c_2-d_2+e_2 a2 = b2 + c2 − d2 + e2 (2.6)
\end{align}
\begin{align}
a_{11}& =b_{11}&
a_{12}& =b_{12}\\ a11 = b11 a12 = b12 (2.7)
a_{21}& =b_{21}& a21 = b21 a22 = b22 + c22 (2.8)
a_{22}& =b_{22}+c_{22}
\end{align}
\begin{flalign*}
a_{11}& =b_{11}&
a_{12}& =b_{12}\\ a11 = b11 a12 = b12
a_{21}& =b_{21}& a21 = b21 a22 = b22 + c22
a_{22}& =b_{22}+c_{22}
\end{flalign*}
Note 1. The split environment is something of a special case. It is a subordinate environment that can
be used as the contents of an equation environment or the contents of one “line” in a multiple-equation
structure such as align or gather.

Note 2. The eqnarray and eqnarray* environments described in [Lamport] are not recommended because
they produce inconsistent spacing of the equal signs and make no attempt to prevent overprinting of the
equation body and equation number.
Short Math Guide for LATEX, version 1.09 (2002-03-22) 3

2.2. Automatic numbering and cross-referencing To get an auto-numbered equa-


tion, use the equation environment; to assign a label for cross-referencing, use the \label
command:
\begin{equation}\label{reio}
...
\end{equation}

To get a cross-reference to an auto-numbered equation, use the \eqref command:


... using equations \eqref{ax1} and \eqref{bz2}, we
can derive ...
The above example would produce something like
using equations (3.2) and (3.5), we can derive
In other words, \eqref{ax1} is equivalent to (\ref{ax1}).
To give your equation numbers the form m.n (section-number.equation-number ), use
the \numberwithin command in the preamble of your document:
\numberwithin{equation}{section}
For more details on custom numbering schemes see [Lamport, §6.3, §C.8.4].
The subequations environment provides a convenient way to number equations in a
group with a subordinate numbering scheme. For example, supposing that the current
equation number is 2.1, write
\begin{equation}\label{first}
a=b+c
\end{equation}
some intervening text
\begin{subequations}\label{grp}
\begin{align}
a&=b+c\label{second}\\
d&=e+f+g\label{third}\\
h&=i+j\label{fourth}
\end{align}
\end{subequations}
to get
a=b+c (2.9)
some intervening text

a=b+c (2.10a)
d=e+f +g (2.10b)
h=i+j (2.10c)

By putting a \label command immediately after \begin{subequations} you can get a


reference to the parent number; \eqref{grp} from the above example would produce (2.10)
while \eqref{second} would produce (2.10a).

3. Math symbols and math fonts


3.1. Classes of math symbols The symbols in a math formula fall into different classes
that correspond more or less to the part of speech each symbol would have if the formula
were expressed in words. Certain spacing and positioning cues are traditionally used for
the different symbol classes to increase the readability of formulas.

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