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Quick LaTeX Tutorial


Dave

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Correct. \frac takes two arguments. You only need to use the brackets if an argument is non-atomic. You don't even need the space if you use brackets. The space exists to separate arguments. It does not print. You can even take advantage of the fact the digits cannot be part of a name and hence separate arguments without a space. For example \frac1a, which displays as [math]\frac1a[/math]. Nontheless it's a good practice to use the braces even when they aren't needed.

 

One problem with the way LaTeX treats spaces is if when you define a macro (in a .tex or .sty file, not here) that prints something. For example suppose you define \mbsp as shorthand for "My Big Software Package version 3.1":

\newcommand{\mbsp}{My Big Software Package version 3.1}

 

Now you can brag about a specific version of your big software package with \mbsp:

The following capabilities are now available in \mbsb:\begin{itemize}\item Feature 1 ...

This will work fine:

 

The following capabilities are now available in My Big Software Package version 3.1:
  • Feature 1 ...

Now someone redlines this as passive voice. You change it to

\mbsb offers the following capabilities:\begin{itemize}\item Feature 1 ...

But this prints as

 

My Big Software Package version 3.1offers the following capabilities:
  • Feature 1 ...

There is no space between 3.1 and offers. You need to force the space, for example

\mbsb\ offers the following capabilities:\begin{itemize}\item Feature 1 ...

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Perhaps more to the point, which symbol is used more these days for c.c., the asterisk or a bar-over?

 

Complex conjugate?

 

I have seen both used, provided the one you pick is not also being used for something else you will be alright.

 

I think bar is in common usage in complex geometry. If you are more of an algebraist you may prefer to use the star as it resembles the adjoint in *-algebras.

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Only some of the logic notation appears to work:

 

All rendering okay:

[imath]\forall p \exists q[/imath], [imath]p \therefore q[/imath], [imath]p=\not q[/imath], [imath]p \neg q[/imath].

 

Not rendering:

[imath]p \and q [/imath], [imath]p \or q [/imath].

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One thing that hasn’t been mentioned in this thread so far is formatting colors in LaTeX.

 

[math]\color{red}{\rm red}[/math]

 

[math]\color{blue}{\rm blue}[/math]

 

[math]\color{green}{\rm green}[/math]

 

[math]\color{yellow}{\rm yellow}[/math]

 

[math]\color{black}{\rm black}[/math]

 

[math]\color{white}{\rm white}[/math]

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I have learned LaTeX because in my college i have to write reports and papers in LaTeX,

 

test:

 

[math]|x| = \{ \begin{matrix} \color{red}{-X}&\color{red}{if X<0}\\ \color{blue}{X}&\color{blue}{if X>0}\\ \end{matrix}[/math]

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I have learned LaTeX because in my college i have to write reports and papers in LaTeX,

 

test: [math]|x| = \{ \begin{matrix} \color{red}{-X}&\color{red}{if X<0}\\ \color{blue}{X}&\color{blue}{if X>0}\\ \end{matrix}[/math]

 

In that case you might want to use \mbox around plain text such as 'if', and use the \cases notation rather than trying to hack your way around a matrix.

 

[math]

f(x) = \begin{cases}

\ln(1-x) & \mbox{if} \; x<0 \\

1 & \mbox{if} \; 0\leq x < c \\

x^2 & \mbox{otherwise}

\end{cases}

[/math]

 

See how that looks neater both in terms of code and output?

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