MHB How to Align Text to the Left Using the Aligned Environment

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To align text to the left while using the align command in LaTeX, the \noindent command can be employed, though it may not work effectively with align. The discussion emphasizes that indented and left-aligned text are not mutually exclusive. A suggestion is made to use the aligned environment instead, which allows for alignment of equal signs without taking the full line width, making it suitable for use as a subformula within math mode. Wrapping the aligned environment in dollar signs and starting it as a paragraph can achieve the desired left alignment without indentation. The conversation also touches on the appropriateness of including text like "Subtract" within the math environment, suggesting it should remain outside.
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If I use the align command, my text is usually either indented or centered by default. What do I need to do in order for my text to align left. I prefer if someone demonstrate how to do it.\begin{align*}\dfrac{a}{t} - \dfrac{b}{t}&=\dfrac{1}{t}(a) - \dfrac{1}{t}(b) \\&=\dfrac{1}{t}(a - b) \\&=\dfrac{1}{t} \dot\ \dfrac{a - b}{1} \\&=\dfrac{a - b}{t}\end{align*}
 
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I wouldn't put the word "Subtract" inside the align environment. It's text, and there doesn't seem to be a reason to put it inside the math environment. If you want to force it not to indent, you can use the
Code:
\noindent
command.
 
bwpbruce said:
If I use the align command, my text is usually either indented or centered by default. What do I need to do in order for my text to align left. I prefer if someone demonstrate how to do it.
Indented and aligned left are not mutually exclusive. Are you talking about LaTeX in MHB or about compiling complete files using your LaTeX installation? Can you explain exactly what behavior you want? What is the purpose of your example?
 
Ackbach said:
I wouldn't put the word "Subtract" inside the align environment. It's text, and there doesn't seem to be a reason to put it inside the math environment. If you want to force it not to indent, you can use the
Code:
\noindent
command.

The no indent command doesn't seem to work well in conjunction with the align command.

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Evgeny.Makarov said:
Indented and aligned left are not mutually exclusive. Are you talking about LaTeX in MHB or about compiling complete files using your LaTeX installation? Can you explain exactly what behavior you want? What is the purpose of your example?

If you can show me a way to post the text so that it is not indented but still align the equal signs, then that's what I want to be able to do.
 
The environment [m]aligned[/m] is similar to [m]align[/m], but it does not take the whole line width and can be used as a subformula inside math mode. So if you wrap [m]aligned[/m] in dollar signs and make it a start of a paragraph, then it should have no indent.

$\begin{aligned}\dfrac{a}{t} - \dfrac{b}{t}&=\dfrac{1}{t}(a) - \dfrac{1}{t}(b) \\&=\dfrac{1}{t}(a - b) \\&=\dfrac{1}{t} \dot\ \dfrac{a - b}{1} \\&=\dfrac{a - b}{t}\end{aligned}$
 
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