Introducing LaTeX Math Typesetting

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the introduction of LaTeX mathematical typesetting on Physics Forums, focusing on its implementation, usage, and examples. Participants explore how to effectively use LaTeX for mathematical expressions and share examples of LaTeX code.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Warren introduces LaTeX typesetting, explaining its markup style and how to include LaTeX graphics in posts.
  • Some participants share additional examples of LaTeX code, demonstrating various mathematical expressions.
  • Warren invites suggestions for LaTeX packages to include, expressing concern about performance impacts from too many packages.
  • One participant inquires about using the LaTeX generator for personal web pages, prompting a discussion about server load and intended use.
  • Another participant expresses enthusiasm for practicing LaTeX by writing equations related to particle interactions.
  • A question arises about formatting subscripts in LaTeX, specifically how to create multi-line subscripts.
  • Participants provide tips on learning LaTeX, including quoting existing code to see how it is written and encouraging practice.
  • Warren reminds participants that clicking on LaTeX images reveals the source code, which can aid in learning.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the usefulness of LaTeX for typesetting mathematics, but there are differing views on its application for personal use outside the forum, with some cautioning against it due to resource concerns.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about specific LaTeX formatting techniques and the potential performance implications of adding more packages to the forum's LaTeX capabilities.

  • #601
Testing...

\vec{F} = m \vec{a}

white background? Blech!
 
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  • #602
In line testing \vec{F} = m \vec{a}
 
  • #603
re-test of an old example

robphy said:
\begin{align}<br /> x&amp; = y &amp;&amp; \text{def}\\<br /> &amp; = y+\textcolor{blue}{(y-y)} &amp;&amp; \text{add \textcolor{blue}{zero}}\\<br /> &amp; = 2y-y &amp;&amp; \text {\textcolor{red}{algebra}}<br /> \end{align}

very plain text, slightlyfanciertext, loud text

<br /> \]<br /> <br /> \begin{picture}(200,200)(0,0)\multiput(0,0)(40,10){5}{\line(1,4){40}}\multiput( 0,0)(10,40){5}{\line(4,1){160}}<br /> \put(0,0){\vector(1,4){170}}<br /> \put(50,50){\circle*{10}} <br /> \put(160,40){\framebox(80,40)[r]{ \textcolor{blue}{\bf \[ x_{Bob} \] } } }<br /> \put(40,160){\textcolor{yellow}{\dashbox(80,40)[t]{ \textcolor{red}{ \[ t_{Bob} \] } } }}<br /> <br /> \qbezier(100,100)(200,100)(200,200)<br /> \linethickness{8pt} <br /> \textcolor{green}{\qbezier(0,0)(0,100)(100,100)}<br /> \linethickness{1pt} <br /> \qbezier(0,0)(0,100)(100,100)<br /> <br /> \end{picture}<br /> \[

<br /> \newcommand{\VARTEXT}[2][\scriptsize]{\left(\mbox{#1\begin{tabular}{c}#2\end{tabular}}\right)}<br /> \VARTEXT[\large]{net-work done \\ on the object }<br /> =<br /> \VARTEXT[\large]{change in \\ the kinetic energy \\ of the object }
Transparency broken?
 
  • #604
I am not familiar with drawing in LaTeX, and I just wonder where I can find a short tutorial on this topic.
I think it should also be added to the first page of this thread, so that someone new to LaTeX can learn how to draw.
It's just my $0.02.
 
  • #605
I don't know of anyone else who uses this \picture environment here at PF. For general (i.e. not-necessarily PF) LaTeX, you might look at http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/help/tpl/textprocessing/teTeX/latex/latex2e-html/ltx-43.html

Here what I use sometimes http://jpicedt.sourceforge.net/
With some effort (see example below [click on image for source]) and some manual tweaks, you can get its output into a PF post.

<br /> \] <br /> \unitlength 1mm <br /> \begin{picture}(55,90)(0,0) <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \put(20,10){\line(0,1){80}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,90)(0.12,-0.12){250}{\line(1,0){0.12}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,30)(0.12,0.12){250}{\line(1,0){0.12}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,10)(0.12,0.2){250}{\line(0,1){0.2}} <br /> \put(15,30){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{t}} <br /> \put(15,60){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{\gamma t}} <br /> \put(15,90){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{k^2t}} <br /> \put(55,60){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{kt}} <br /> \end{picture} <br /> \[ <br />
 
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  • #606
robphy said:
<br /> \] <br /> \unitlength 1mm <br /> \begin{picture}(55,90)(0,0) <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \put(20,10){\line(0,1){80}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,90)(0.12,-0.12){250}{\line(1,0){0.12}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,30)(0.12,0.12){250}{\line(1,0){0.12}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,10)(0.12,0.2){250}{\line(0,1){0.2}} <br /> \put(15,30){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{t}} <br /> \put(15,60){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{\gamma t}} <br /> \put(15,90){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{k^2t}} <br /> \put(55,60){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{kt}} <br /> \end{picture} <br /> \[ <br />

Testing transparency.. 13

- Warren
 
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  • #607
robphy said:
<br /> \] <br /> \unitlength 1mm <br /> \begin{picture}(55,90)(0,0) <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \put(20,10){\line(0,1){80}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,90)(0.12,-0.12){250}{\line(1,0){0.12}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,30)(0.12,0.12){250}{\line(1,0){0.12}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,10)(0.12,0.2){250}{\line(0,1){0.2}} <br /> \put(15,30){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{t}} <br /> \put(15,60){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{\gamma t}} <br /> \put(15,90){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{k^2t}} <br /> \put(55,60){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{kt}} <br /> \end{picture} <br /> \[ <br />

<br /> \] <br /> \unitlength 1mm <br /> \begin{picture}(55,90)(0,0) <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \put(20,10){\line(0,1){80}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,90)(0.12,-0.12){250}{\line(1,0){0.12}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,30)(0.12,0.12){250}{\line(1,0){0.12}} <br /> \linethickness{0.3mm} <br /> \multiput(20,10)(0.12,0.2){250}{\line(0,1){0.2}} <br /> \put(15,30){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{t}} <br /> \put(15,60){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{\gamma t}} <br /> \put(15,90){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{k^2t}} <br /> \put(55,60){\makebox(0,0)[cc]{kt}} <br /> \end{picture} <br /> \[ <br />

Testing transparency.. 53

- Warren
 
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  • #608
Are you setting a transparency flag?
Or are you trying to explicitly match the current skin background (for Prime, apparently, RGB: 233,233,233), which is different from the quote background (for Prime, apparently, RGB 216,233,228)?
 
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  • #609
I'm calling pnmtopng with -transparency =rgb:ff/ff/ff, which should turn all the white pixels transparent (and the latex itself forces an #black background). It works if I don't use antialiasing when calling ghostscript, but, for some reason, turning antialiasing on screws pnmtopng up. It didn't do this in previous versions, so it's likely a bug in the newest versions. (We're on a brand new server now). I'm working on finding a workaround.

- Warren
 
  • #610
AKG said:
0 &lt; k \leq m &lt; n,\ \ \gcd\left({{n}\choose{k}},{{n}\choose{m}}\right) &gt; 1

{{n}\choose{k}}{{n-k}\choose{m-k}} = {{n}\choose{m}}{{m}\choose{k}}

{{n}\choose{k}} \left| {{n}\choose{m}}{{m}\choose{k}}

\gcd\left({{n}\choose{k}},{{n}\choose{m}}\right) = 1

{{n}\choose{k}} \left| {{m}\choose{k}}

{{n}\choose{k}} &gt; {{m}\choose{k}}

\gcd\left({{n}\choose{k}},{{n}\choose{m}}\right) &gt; 1

Another test...

- Warren
 
  • #611
Another test of aliasing... 8

<br /> e^x = \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{x^n}{n!} = \lim_{n\rightarrow\infty} (1+x/n)^n<br />

- Warren
 
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  • #612
Transparency's fixed (found a workaround) but the antialiasing routine used by ghostscript is different now, and, in my opinion, not as nice looking. I'm going to have to keep playing with that.

- Warren
 
  • #614
chroot said:
Transparency's fixed (found a workaround) but the antialiasing routine used by ghostscript is different now, and, in my opinion, not as nice looking. I'm going to have to keep playing with that.

- Warren
Why doesn't the old tex work?
 
  • #615
We're on a new server with an entirely different Linux distribution. Apparently, people have made a lot of (annoying) changes to some of the basic image-manipulation programs in the last year or so, and I'm having to figure out how to get around them. Apparently the transparency is still not working in IE.

- Warren
 
  • #616
I wonder if that IE problem has anything to do with
http://entropymine.com/jason/testbed/pngtrans/ (try viewing in IE and FF)
By the way, the images "copied" off the webpage (via right-click) differ between doing that in IE and in FF.

The new images have fonts that seem a little thinner (compared to the earlier version)... as if more pixels were selected for transparency than before.
 
  • #617
robphy,

As I mentioned, the antialiasing done by ghostscript appears to be different now than it used to be. As I said, I prefer the old look, and am going to try to make it look a little better soon. Apparently quite a bit of stuff was changed. :frown:

- Warren
 
  • #618
robphy said:
I wonder if that IE problem has anything to do with
http://entropymine.com/jason/testbed/pngtrans/ (try viewing in IE and FF)

Yeah, that's a good page. IE certainly does have lots of problems with PNG transparency, but my images here used to work just fine under both browsers. This is going to drive me insane.

- Warren
 
  • #619
chroot said:
Another test of aliasing... 9

<br /> e^x = \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{x^n}{n!} = \lim_{n\rightarrow\infty} (1+x/n)^n<br />

- Warren

<br /> e^x = \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{x^n}{n!} = \lim_{n\rightarrow\infty} (1+x/n)^n<br />- Warren
 
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  • #620
<br /> \mathop {\lim }\limits_{n \to \infty } \bigcup\limits_{i = 0}^{n!} {\left\{ {\frac{i}{{n!}}} \right\}} = \mathbb{Q} \cap \left[ {0,1} \right]
 
  • #621
Testing...

<br /> E_n = /frac{n^2/pi^2}{(L+2/delta)^2}<br />

Hmm, does anyone know why I can view Latex graphics in other peoples posts, but I can never view them in my own. I always get the please wait the graphic is being generated message.
 
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  • #622
<br /> E_n = \frac{n^2\pi^2}{(L+2\delta)^2}.<br />

Your slashes are backwards.
And I believe the tags have to be lowercase.

Kazza_765 said:
Testing...

<br /> E_n = /frac{n^2/pi^2}{(L+2/delta)^2}<br />

Hmm, does anyone know why I can view Latex graphics in other peoples posts, but I can never view them in my own. I always get
the please wait the graphic is being generated message.
 
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  • #623
lemme try:

<br /> E_n = \frac{n^2 \pi^2}{(L + 2 \delta)^2}<br />
 
  • #624
<br /> E_n = \frac{n^2 \pi^2}{(L + 2 \delta)^2}<br />
Yes, a slight improvement. (The gamma modification?)
 
  • #625
robphy said:
<br /> E_n = \frac{n^2 \pi^2}{(L + 2 \delta)^2}<br />
Testing \vec{F} = m \vec{a}

Yikes... worse than ever. :cry:
 
  • #626
Doc Al said:
Testing \vec{F} = m \vec{a}

Yikes... worse than ever. :cry:

Using IE?
Transparency seems okay in Firefox (1.0.7).
 
  • #627
\fbox{\LaTeX}
 
  • #628
Doc Al said:
Testing \vec{F} = m \vec{a}

Yikes... worse than ever. :cry:
Seems to be working now; it wasn't yesterday when I posted that.

Yes, I'm using IE.
 
  • #629
Somethings wrong with the AA again :frown:

V = \int \pi \left[ f(x) \right]^2

I'm using firefox.
 
  • #630
I've had trouble with .png transparency in IE before. The only way i got around that was by using transparent .gifs. I know http://www.forkosh.dreamhost.com/source_mimetex.html#introduction converts to .gif, but it's not my favorite converter as it doesn't use very smooth (vector?) characters but it takes in Latex at the command line directly, rather than reading from a file which i found very useful. An alternative would be to set the background color to the background color of these forums, but since you have different styles for the PF layout that might not work. Sounds like a pain. :smile:

Actually, i just found out http://www.forkosh.dreamhost.com/source_mimetex.html#introduction can be compiled with anti-aliasing on.
 
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