Latex Equations Rendering Limits in PF Forums

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the limitations and issues related to rendering LaTeX equations in the Physics Forums, particularly focusing on the number of equations that can be successfully submitted and displayed in various sub-forums. Participants explore the practical implications of these limits and the user experience when encountering rendering failures.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes experiencing a cutoff in the number of LaTeX equations that can be rendered, leading to failures when submitting multiple equations.
  • Another participant claims there is no official limit, but acknowledges that server load can cause rendering issues, resulting in broken images.
  • A participant shares their experience of consistently encountering database errors when posting with a lot of LaTeX, even without previewing, but mentions that the post still appears in the thread.
  • Concerns are raised about the practical limits of LaTeX rendering, with one participant stating they could only submit 2 out of 6 equations due to repeated failures.
  • Another participant mentions having seen posts with many LaTeX images, expressing confusion over the differing experiences regarding rendering issues.
  • Suggestions are made for providing feedback when rendering fails, as well as for breaking posts into sections to manage the number of equations submitted.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether there is a definitive limit to LaTeX rendering. While some assert that there is no limit, others share experiences indicating practical constraints. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the exact nature of these limits and the reasons behind the rendering failures.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention issues related to server load and database errors, but there is no consensus on the specific limits or conditions that lead to rendering failures. The discussion highlights the variability in user experiences with LaTeX rendering across different posts and forums.

mysearch
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Hi,
I have used latex generated equations in several forums and realize that there is a cutoff as to the number of equations that can be rendered, although I don't know what the limit is, i.e. I have just reach a point where it just fails.

Tonight, I was trying to submit 3-4 equations, which I have submitted before into Cosmology, but which now appear to fail when submitted into the Astrophysics forum. Hence the following questions:

1) What is the limit?
2) Is there any new problems/limits in force?
3) Are there any differences between sub-forums?

As a general comment, Latex rendering within PF really makes a big difference to the quality of the discussions, so it would be nice if some feedback info could be provided when the rendering fails. Just a thought

Thanks

P.S. Will try again in the morning
 
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There is no limit, but if you create a post with a lot of latex and the server is swamped, sometimes the images come out broken.
 
mysearch said:
Hi,
I have used latex generated equations in several forums and realize that there is a cutoff as to the number of equations that can be rendered, although I don't know what the limit is, i.e. I have just reach a point where it just fails.:grumpy

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=242432

might be relevant.
 
#2: There is no limit, but if you create a post with a lot of latex and the server is swamped, sometimes the images come out broken.
Greg: thanks for the feedback and I accept the finite capacity of any server under load. Again, some status feedback on the nature of the Latex database failure might be useful here, if possible. However, my experience is that there does appear to be a practical limit to latex generation at almost at anytime, i.e. preview never works twice, when too many equations are submitted. I tried again today, (several times), with my original posting, but again it failed every time so had to delete most of the equations I wanted to submit. Originally, there were 6 equations, which I know were all OK, in syntax terms, but finally I only managed to submit 2. I guess I could have broken the post into sections, but this then becomes problematic as far as referencing equations in other posts etc.
#3: If I write a post that has a lot a latex in in it, I get a database error even when I post without previewing. The post, however, does show up in the thread. So, I put "under construction" at the top of the post, and edit until it looks right, at which time I remove "under construction." After each (series of) edit(s), I post without previewing.

George: thanks for the reference thread in post #3. The quote above is one of yours extracted from this thread. I tend to check my latex syntax in another website to minimise the overhead on preview, but still like to use preview prior to posting. I have to say the method you suggest sounds a bit messy, especially as I would have thought this is exactly what preview is intended to prevent (?)

However, to put my comments into perspective, this is the first time I have noticed the Latex process be so restrictive, which is the reason I raised it. Thanks
 
mysearch said:
Originally, there were 6 equations, which I know were all OK, in syntax terms, but finally I only managed to submit 2. I guess I could have broken the post into sections, but this then becomes problematic as far as referencing equations in other posts etc.

hmm I've seen posts that had what must have been 50 latex images. Not sure why you're having problems. Try PMing Chroot, he'd have more information as he created it.
 

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