LaTeX is pronounced "lah-tek".
LaTeX stands for Lamport TeX or Lamport Typesetting System.
Beautiful typesetting made simple
Free online LaTeX editor: https://latexbase.com/
Save a text document with a .tex file format. The LaTeX compiler will interpret that text file and generate a .pdf file from it.
Minimal document:
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Hello World!
\end{document}
Commands start with a \ (backslash) and may be followed by {options}.
\command{options}
An environment defines a section of the document with shared layout settings.
You define environments with "begin" and "end" commands
\begin{document}
\begin{environment1}
\begin{environment1}
\end{environment2}
\end{environment2}
\end{document}
Environments must be nested like a valid xml document.
The "document" environment must be the root environment of all other environments.
The area before the \begin{document} command. Global variables, like Title, can be set here.
Start a line with %, everything to the end of line will be ignored by the compiler.
% my comments
You can also use the "comment" package to create whole environments that will be ignored.
\usepackage{comment}
\begin{comment}
comments
comments
\end{comment}
Sections and subsections will be automatically numbered.
\section{}
\subsection{}
\subsubsection{}
\paragraph{}
\subparagraph{}
You can import additional LaTeX packages.
\usepackage{package_name}
To subtitle an image or figure
\usepackage{graphicx}
\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{boat.jpg}
\caption{A boat.}
\label{fig:boat1}
\end{figure}
Figure \ref{fig:boat1} shows a boat.
Two images with individual subtitles and one shared subtitle
\usepackage{graphicx}
\begin{figure}[h!]
\centering
\begin{subfigure}[b]{0.4\linewidth}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{coffee.jpg}
\caption{Coffee.}
\end{subfigure}
\begin{subfigure}[b]{0.4\linewidth}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{coffee.jpg}
\caption{More coffee.}
\end{subfigure}
\caption{The same cup of coffee. Two times.}
\label{fig:coffee}
\end{figure}
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\tableofcontents
\newpage
\section{Section}
Dummy text
\subsection{Subsection}
Dummy text
\end{document}
List of tables, list of figures.
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}
\caption{Dummy figure}
\end{figure}
\begin{table}
\caption{Dummy table}
\end{table}
\begin{appendix}
\listoffigures
\listoftables
\end{appendix}
\end{document}
Document classes set default global layout settings for the document.
Ex: "article", "book"
The "article" document class will automatically add page numbers to the pdf.
\documentclass{article}
\title{My first document}
\date{2013-09-01}
\author{John Doe}
\begin{document}
\maketitle
\newpage
Hello World!
\end{document}
You can skip numbering a page, and then restart numbering, like this. Note that numbering will restart at 1.
\documentclass{article}
\title{My first document}
\date{2013-09-01}
\author{John Doe}
\begin{document}
\pagenumbering{gobble}
\maketitle
\newpage
\pagenumbering{arabic}
Hello World!
\end{document}
Equation is a built-in environment. Use "equation" to format mathematical equations in "display mode". Display mode means the equation will be shown on its own line.
\begin{equation}
f{x} = x^2
\end{equation}
Each equation will be automatically numbered for referencing.
You can only write one equation per "equation" environment.
Alternate formats:
\[x^2\]
$$x^2$$
\begin{displaymath}x^2\end{displaymath}
Use the amsmath package to make not-numbered equations.
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
\begin{equation*}
f{x} = x^2
\end{equation*}
\end{document}
It will also align multiple statements along the zero-width & (ampersand) character. The \\ (double backslash) marks a line break.
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
\begin{align*}
1 + 2 &= 3\\
1 &= 3 - 2
\end{align*}
\end{document}
Instead of enclosing your equations in an environment, you can use the $ (dollar sign) format to write equations inline with your text.
\begin{document}
Words $f(x) = x^2$ Words
\end{document}
Or you can use the \( \) format.
\begin{document}
The well known Pythagorean theorem \(x^2 + y^2 = z^2\) was
proved to be invalid for other exponents.
\end{document}
Or use the inline math environment
\begin{document}
The well known Pythagorean theorem \begin{math}x^2 + y^2 = z^2\end{math} was
proved to be invalid for other exponents.
\end{document}
x to the power of 2
$x^2$
square root of x
$\sqrt{x}
1 over x
$\frac{1}{x}$
integral from a to b of one-third times x to the third power
$\int^a_b \frac{1}{3}x^3$
The a and b limits can be written in either order, but the one with ^ prefix will go on top and the _ prefix on the bottom.
This one displays the limits at the top and bottom of the integral sign, instead of inset within it.
$\int\limits^a_b \frac{1}{3}x^3$
n choose k
\usepackage{amsmath}
$\binom{n}{k}$
Brackets, parentheses, and curly braces that will resize to surround the matrix or equation or whatever.
\left[
\begin{matrix}
1 & 0\\
0 & 1
\end{matrix}
\right]
\left(
\frac{1}{\sqrt{x}}
\right)
^ for superscript
_ for subscript
\[ a_1^2 + a_2^2 = a_3^2 \]
Surround long scripts with brackets
\[ a_{ij} + a_{kl} = b \]
Complex example
\[ \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^s}
= \prod_p \frac{1}{1 - p^{-s}} \]
Lowercase | Uppercase | Variable
\alpha | A
\beta | B
\gamma | \Gamma
\delta | \Delta
\epsilon | E | \varepsilon
\zeta | Z
\eta | H
\theta | \Theta | \vartheta
\iota | I
\kappa | K
\lambda | \Lambda
\mu | M
\nu | N
\xi | \Xi
o | O
\pi | \Pi
\rho | P | \varrho
\sigma | \Sigma
\tau | T
\upsilon | \Upsilon
\phi | \Phi | \varphi
\chi | X
\psi | \Psi
\omega | \Omega
\times
\otimes
\oplus
\cup
\cap
\div
\neq
\leq
\geq
\in
\notin
\perp
\simeq
\approx
\wedge
\vee
\Box
\boxtimes
\equiv
\cong
<
>
\subset
\supset
\subseteq
\supseteq
\int = integral
\oint = o integral
\sum = big epsilon
\prod = big pi
\coprod = upside down big pi
\infty = infinity
\exists = backwards E
\nexists = crossed out backwards E
\forall = upside down A
\Re
\Im
\nabla = upside down triangle
\partial
\emptyset
\varnothing
\wp
\complement
\neg
\cdots = three dots in a row
\square = empty white square
\blacksquare = filled black square
\surd = start of root sign
\triangle = empty white triangle
Single Line | Double Line
\leftarrow | \Leftarrow
\rightarrow | \Rightarrow
\leftrightarrow | \Leftrightarrow
\uparrow | \Uparrow
\downarrow | \Downarrow
\Updownarrow
\mapsto
\longmapsto
\nearrow
\searrow
\swarrow
\nwarrow
\leftharpoonup
\rightharpoonup
\leftharpoondown
\rightharpoondown
\rightleftharpoons
Command "DeclareMathOperator" will define a custom operator that you can use throughout your document. The operator you define will be replaced (compiled to) whatever text or equation you define.
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\DeclareMathOperator{\Mr}{M_{\mathbb{R}}}
\begin{document}
User-defined operator for matrices with Real entries
\[
x \in \Mr
\]
\end{document}
\begin{matrix}
1 & 0\\
0 & 1
\end{matrix}
Create a text file saved with .bib file format.
See BibTeX generator for full format details.
Sample
@BOOK{DUMMY:1,
AUTHOR="John Doe",
TITLE="The Book without Title",
PUBLISHER="Dummy Publisher",
YEAR="2100",
}
The "bibliography" command both gives the filename (sans file extension) of our bibliography.
The "bibliographystyle" command gives the format for displaying the bibliography.
The "displaybibliography" command prints the bibliography.
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Random citation \cite{DUMMY:1} embeddeed in text.
\bibliography{filename}
\bibliographystyle{ieeetr}
\printbibliography
\end{document}