LaTeX: Text type, displayed type?

[ozmotion]

After playing around with MathType's translate to LaTeX tool, I noticed it encloses its translated TeX expressions with either $<expression>$ or $$<expression>$$ depending on whether "Inline Equation" is toggled or not.

Being new to TeX, I looked this up, and the wiki page (http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX/Mathematics" ) suggests that "Using the $$...$$ should be avoided, as it may cause problems, particularly with the AMS-LaTeX macros."

Why is this discouraged, and what is the alternative?

 

[Hurkyl]

My guess is that it may cause problems with AMS-LaTeX macros. I've always used \[...\] instead of $$...$$ so I haven't actually encountered the problems.

 

[ozmotion]

My guess is that it may cause problems with AMS-LaTeX macros. I've always used \[...\] instead of $$...$$ so I haven't actually encountered the problems.

thanks for the clarification. i wasn't sure if it was the implementation or function of 'displayed type' that was a problem, or if it was just the syntax.

since i have no control over mathtype's translation to latex, ill just live with it.