Is there a problem with the latex?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around issues with LaTeX rendering on the forum, including technical problems, user experiences, and preferences for alternative formatting methods. Participants explore the implications of the current LaTeX outage and express concerns about its usability and appearance.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report that LaTeX code is not displaying correctly, with messages indicating that it is down due to server issues.
  • Others mention that they have tried to use older LaTeX code without success, raising questions about whether the problem is on their end.
  • A participant humorously notes that if LaTeX does not display correctly, it indicates that it is still down.
  • Concerns are raised about the need to re-type entries once LaTeX is operational again, with some suggesting that re-typing may be necessary due to how the server processes posts.
  • There are discussions about the limitations of LaTeX, including issues with font size and positioning of mathematical symbols, with some participants expressing a preference for alternative formatting methods.
  • Some participants argue that LaTeX can be cumbersome and suggest using other languages or methods for displaying mathematical expressions, citing examples from Wikipedia.
  • Others counter that LaTeX is still widely used and that inline LaTeX can be formatted correctly with the right tags.
  • Participants express a desire for improvements in LaTeX rendering, such as larger fonts and higher resolution images.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that LaTeX is currently not functioning properly, but there is disagreement regarding its usability and the effectiveness of alternative formatting methods. Some express frustration with LaTeX's limitations, while others defend its use.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the current issues with LaTeX may be related to server problems and that the appearance of mathematical symbols can vary significantly based on the rendering capabilities of the forum.

Matterwave
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A lot of threads I've been looking at doesn't display the Latex code. It just says: Latex code: blahblahblah. All underlined. What's wrong?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
We have a notice up at the top of the page.

Attention: LaTeX is currently not working. We're experiencing some disk drive problems and files are unable to write at this time. We are looking into replacing the drive shortly. Thanks!
 
Ah, shows me for not reading notices. :P

Thanks.
 
I no longer see the announcement but I can't post Latex code and have it look correct.

I've even tried to cut and paste older Latex lines that look fine but the new "preview" do not look correct.

As far as you know - is Latex working now? is the problem on me?
 
no problem

Thanks
 
Is Latex still down? I can't seem to produce right Latex despite I thought what I typed was compliant to Latex code.
 
caseyjay said:
Is Latex still down? I can't seem to produce right Latex despite I thought what I typed was compliant to Latex code.
Yes, unfortunately, LaTeX is still down. We are aware of the problem and hopefully chroot will be able to resolve it soon.
 
lol @ people keeping asking if LaTeX is still down.

If you type something correct between tex-tags and it doesn't show, it's still down. If it does show, it's up again :)
 
  • #10
where are we?

I thought the bronx was up, and the battery was down. :confused:
 
  • #12
need to re-type?

Hi snoopies622! :smile:

I'm fairly sure you'll need to re-type it …

I think the server looks for a thingy created at the time of posting, and of course it won't be able to find one. :frown:

Alternatively, edit now, using extra symbols and the X2 and X2 tags. :wink:
 
  • #13


tiny-tim said:
...using extra symbols and the X2 and X2 tags.

I'm sorry; I'm not sure what this means. Not using LaTeX? Can one make a decent looking fraction without it?
 
  • #14


snoopies622 said:
I'm sorry; I'm not sure what this means. Not using LaTeX? Can one make a decent looking fraction without it?

Decent enough, yes. I just go for plain and simple, like: 1/2
But what tiny tim means is: 1/2
 
  • #15
how vulgar!

Hi Moonbear! :smile:
Moonbear said:
Decent enough, yes. I just go for plain and simple, like: 1/2

You call it a plain and simple fraction …

some people call it vulgar! :biggrin:
But what tiny tim means is: 1/2

Honestly, I never thought of that! :redface:

That's quite neat! :approve:
 
  • #16


tiny-tim said:
Honestly, I never thought of that! :redface:

That's quite neat! :approve:

Well, I never thought of it until I read your post here. :smile: We'll call it a collaborative effort, then! :biggrin:
 
  • #17


Moonbear said:
Well, I never thought of it until I read your post here. :smile: We'll call it a collaborative effort, then! :biggrin:

Patent pending... ?
 
  • #18
Thanks all, but I think I'll just wait for the LaTeX to return. I hope the problem is fixed soon.
 
  • #19
Testing...

E=mc^2
 
  • #20
\LaTeX is back up. I'm still not a fan of the font, though, so I'm going to try tweaking a few more things.

- Warren
 
  • #21
Thanks chroot! :approve:
 
  • #22
\mathrm{Y^A{}_Y}, \text{ it } = \cup p \text{ again!}
 
  • #23
Must we use LateX? Can't we switch to other language such as Wikipedia's one?
Well i notice some restrictions in LateX,
firstly, the mathematics symbols are sometimes too small and may cause confusion,

such as this, \mathop {\lim }\limits_{x \to \infty } \sum\limits_{x = 1}^N {\left( {{a_1}{b_{n + 1}}} \right)\frac{{{\partial ^2}}}{{\sqrt {\frac{{n!}}{{r!\left( {n - r} \right)!}}} }}}

Is that x-1 or x=1 ?


secondly, LateX doesn't know how to position itself in a suitable manner.
from the above example, the sentence "such as this" should position at the same line as lim x->\infty , instead of above it. Another example {x^2}\frac{\partial }{x}
In wikipedia, all equations are automatically adjusted to fit into the middle of the sentence for better viewing experience.

Sorry, these are just my random grumble...


ok i feel better now after my grumble.
 
  • #24
AFAIK, Wikipedia is using LaTeX.
In your first expression, it is x = 1. From the context it makes sense, if you have any doubt just click on it and check it.
Even inline, you can write lim x -> \infty and x^2 \frac{\partial}{\partial x} very well if you just use itex tags instead of tex.

That said, if it takes a lot of server resources and - agreed - doesn't always look great, I am noticing that many sites, such as http://planetmath.org/encyclopedia/PropertiesOfRiemannStieltjesIntegral.html which seems to work rather nicely except for some messages at the top when not all recommended fonts are installed.
 
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  • #25
Since PF is one of the most renowned science forums in the web currently, I thought the standard required would be higher.

I hardly use LateX now unless necessary.
Even if I have to use mathematical language to better illustrate my question, I normally use MathType® and save it as .GIF, then upload it to tinypic.com
Such as this,
2nl5t1x.gif
 

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  • #26
nyrychvantel said:
Must we use LateX? Can't we switch to other language such as Wikipedia's one?

Is that x-1 or x=1 ?

secondly, LateX doesn't know how to position itself in a suitable manner.

I agree!

"x = 1" under a ∑ always looks like "x-1" in PF's LaTeX. :frown:

And while inline LaTeX does position everything correctly, it makes fractions and powers too small (or cuts them off).

Also, our LaTeX "r" looks too much like a tau. :cry:
 
  • #27
I agree that it would be a significant improvement if the font was a bit bigger and the images had a higher resolution. It looks like the pixel size in LaTeX images is much bigger than in regular text. See e.g. the examples I used in this thread. (The reason why the images have a white background is that vBulletin upgrade that week had caused some LaTeX problems).
 

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