Introduction to LATEX

Introduction to LATEX A simple LATEX file \documentclass{article} \begin{document} Here is what we say what we want to say. \end{document}

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Backslash for LATEX commands.

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File must start with \documentclass command – tells LATEX how to format document.

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Braces (curly brackets) – used frequently in LATEX Environments – \begin{} . . . \end{}.

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File must contain a document environment.

TEXWorks

Log in to the University Desktop Service. Start TEXWorks by going to All Programs → HW Programs → MikTeX 2.9 → TeXWorks File → Open to open an existing LATEX file, or File → New to start a new file. In practice, it is usually easiest to create new LATEX files by copying and editing existing files. Typeset → pdfLaTeX to select output type.

TEXWorks

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With LATEX file in window, press green arrow at top left. For a new file, we are prompted for a filename to save.

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Then we get PDF output in a separate window.

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Experiment: edit text and hit green button again.

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I LATEX

errors produce red cross in place of green arrow, and error message in console - edit file to correct.

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Repeat.

Experiment by downloading some of the sample LATEX files from the VISION page and amending them.

Mathematics

The dollar sign $ is used by LATEX to toggle between ordinary text mode and math mode: √ $ \sqrt{3} $ → 3 Double dollars display the mathematics: $$ \sqrt{3} $$ → √ 3

Recommendation: always include \usepackage{amssymb} between the \documentclass and \begin{document} commands for more mathematical symbols.

Some useful Mathematics commands I

Greek letters: \alpha, \beta, \gamma → α, β, γ, etc.

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Arrows: \rightarrow, \leftarrow, \leftrightarrow, \Rightarrow → →, ←, ↔, ⇒ √ Fractions, square roots: \frac{a}{b} → ba , \sqrt{a} → a

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Subscripts and superscripts: aˆb → ab , aˆ{long} → along ; a b → ab , a {long} → along

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Blackboard bold letters \mathbb{R}, \mathbb{C} for R, C etc.

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Set theory: \{. . . \} for {. . . } ; \cup, \cap for ∪, ∩; \in, \notin for ∈, ∈, / \subset, \subseteq for ⊂, ⊆ \equiv, \sim, \cong for ≡, ∼, ∼ =

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\le, \ge, \ll, \gg, \pm, \mp for ≤, ≥, , , ±, ∓

Example The input A quadratic equation of the form $ axˆ2+bx+c=0 $ can be solved by the quadratic formula $$ x=\frac{ -b \pm \sqrt{ bˆ2 - 4ac} }{2a} $$ Gives the output A quadratic equation of the form ax 2 + bx + c = 0 can be solved by the quadratic formula √ −b ± b 2 − 4ac x= 2a