Is there a better way to format equations in LaTeX and avoid wasted space?

[thegreenlaser]

I'm doing a homework assignment using latex, so I have to show all the steps in my equations. This creates a lot of situations where I'll have [given] = [something] = [something] ... = [final answer]. If I put it all in line, it tends to run out of room, and if I put it vertically (using amsmath align function), like:

[given] = [something]
= [something]
= ...
= [final answer]

It tends to waste a lot of space. Combining the two just tends to look messy and hard to follow especially with large fractions involved. Are there any elegant ways of doing this? Maybe like the vertical thing but in multiple columns? If so, how would I do that with LaTeX codes? (I'm still really new to LaTeX)

Thanks

 

[AlephZero]

Find some documentation (online or downloadable) on the AMSmath align and alignat environments. They can do a lot more than just align equations at the "=" signs.