Learn LaTeX Basics: Download Links & Tutorials

[Tukhara]

I have no clue how to use it. Can someone tell me in a basic way? Also provide links for downloading?

Note, I haven't even downloaded it. I recently downloaded MikeTex but have no idea how to start this all out. I need this for writing a research paper.

 

[mfb]

I recently downloaded MikeTex but have no idea how to start this all out.

It should have a manual.

While you can start with an empty .tex file, it is probably advisable to look for a template you like. Download it, compile it. Once you made that work, put in your content.

 

[fresh_42]

There is a short introduction here:
https://www.physicsforums.com/help/latexhelp/

It's also an idea, which I used a lot at the beginning, to click "reply" and simply see how it's done. You only have to be aware to delete it again instead of posting it. Also your drafts will automatically be remembered, such that the "reply" might stay in the box if you will answer again in this thread. The "preview" function in the edit box is also very helpful.

To look up symbols, I use
http://detexify.kirelabs.org/symbols.html

and for spacing sometimes
https://www.sharelatex.com/learn/Spacing_in_math_mode

If you want to use it privately, a TeX editor might be of help. There are some available on the net. I like TeXStudio, but it has slightly different shortcuts for $\text{[\tex]}$ and similar which makes it incompatible to the library installed on PF. But I usually don&#039;t change the platforms.<br /> If you want to install a library on a server yourself, you have to google for them. I think there are free ones, too, but I haven&#039;t checked, for I don&#039;t run a public server.<br /> <br /> If you start to use LaTex on PF more frequently, or even if you use a TeX editor, then it&#039;s convenient to (re-)program Windows shortcuts. Auto-Hotkey is an example for a tiny script program that does that. Thus you can insert an entire text as e.g. $\text{ \partial }$ or $\text{ \longrightarrow }$ with only one key-combination as Alt+p or so. Just make sure not to overwrite the shortcuts you normally use as Ctrl+C and similar.

 

[fresh_42]

I don't know about MikeTex, but if you like I can give you a tex-file (written with TeXStudio).

 

[Tukhara]

Oh so is Tex a program or what? I am still very confused here. I am planning to write a series of mathematical papers and I would like to learn this Tex business in order to do that. Those guides don't tell me how to get started but if helps @fresh_42 you can give me a Tex-file and/or PM with instructions. I'd appreciate it vastly. :)

 

[mfb]

It is a markup language like HTML or forum codes.

Various programs convert TeX files to PDFs, MiKTeX is one of them.

 

[DrClaude]

The best introduction to $\LaTeX$, starting from the very basics, is The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX2ε.

 

[jtbell]

I need this for writing a research paper.

On this forum we use LaTeX only for writing individual equations in posts. For writing a complete document in LaTeX, probably using one of the standard styles for research papers, you need more information than is in our primer that fresh_42 linked to. I've never used LaTeX for a complete document myself, but if you Google for "how to write latex documents" you'll get a lot of hits to introductory tutorials.

 

[Tukhara]

Folks I recently began using this last night: https://www.overleaf.com/

It's great but I have several issues. For instance, I tried the template for Annals of Mathematics and I kept getting several errors. Even when I fixed the error the error message still kept showing up.

 

[DrClaude]

I'm a frequent user of Overleaf. The errors you are getting are probably related to the fact that you are new to LaTeX. I would start with a simpler document (see my previous post).

 

[Demystifier]

Folks I recently began using this last night: https://www.overleaf.com/

It's great but I have several issues. For instance, I tried the template for Annals of Mathematics and I kept getting several errors. Even when I fixed the error the error message still kept showing up.

Try to delete all the auxiliary files, i.e. those that do not have a .tex extension, and then process your .tex file again, twice. Does the error message still shows?
If it does, try to copy-paste the error message into a google search, you might get a useful advice for that particular error.

 

[DrClaude]

Try to delete all the auxiliary files, i.e. those that do not have a .tex extension, and then process your .tex file again, twice.

You can't do that on Overleaf. However, when you get an error, you have the option "recompile from scratch," which is essentially the same thing.

 

[Demystifier]

You can't do that on Overleaf. However, when you get an error, you have the option "recompile from scratch," which is essentially the same thing.

Well, I never used Overleaf.

 

[Tukhara]

Any better alternatives to Overleaf that are better?

 

[mfb]

The templates offered by Overleaf should compile. If they do not, send a mail to the support team, they seem to be quite competent and help even if you don't pay for the service. Or choose a different template. For a research paper, the free version is probably sufficient. You are quite limited in the number of files you can upload, but usually you don't need that many anyway.

 

[Tukhara]

I think I will be better off using something else since it seems kind of hard and tedious to do either way. My goal is to publish to the Annals of Mathematics.

 

[fresh_42]

I think I will be better off using something else since it seems kind of hard and tedious to do either way. My goal is to publish to the Annals of Mathematics.

I assume journals in general and the Annals in special have their own rules, how a text has to be edited. I'd try to figure them out in advance. Maybe they even offer a skeleton with text size, titles and so on.