Show the bounds of an integral in LaTeX

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around how to properly format integral bounds in LaTeX, particularly after taking the antiderivative. Participants explore various notations and address specific cases, including negative bounds.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks clarification on showing bounds of an integral after taking the antiderivative, providing an example for context.
  • Another participant suggests the correct LaTeX notation for the integral with bounds, demonstrating the use of the \int command and the notation for evaluated bounds.
  • A follow-up question is posed regarding the formatting of integrals with negative bounds, indicating issues with pdflatex.
  • Participants propose enclosing compound expressions in curly brackets for proper formatting in LaTeX.
  • Additional formatting options are discussed, such as using \bigg| for vertical bars and the use of \left. to avoid LaTeX errors with tall expressions.
  • A link to a related thread is shared as a resource for further understanding of LaTeX basics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the LaTeX formatting for integral bounds, but there are varying suggestions on how to handle specific cases, such as negative bounds and the appearance of vertical bars.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference specific LaTeX packages and their documentation, indicating that the formatting may depend on the tools being used.

kentm
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Hey I'm typing out my math homework, and I've run into some notation that I'm kind of confused about:

I need to know how to show the bounds of an integral after you've taken the antiderivative. Kind of like this:

Integral (bounds: 0 to 2) of x^2 = [1/3x^3] (0 to 2).

The actual notation might look like this:

--------|2
1/3x^3|
--------|0


Sorry if I have this in the wrong forum; I didn't see any designated for LaTeX.
 
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Something like:

\int_0^2 x^2 dx = \left[\frac{1}{3} x^3 \right]_0^2

Code:
\int_0^2 x^2 dx = \left[\frac{1}{3} x^3 \right]_0^2
 
That's exactly what I needed...

Thanks.
 
Okay, now I've got another question:

What if I want to have negative bounds like this:

\int_-3^3?

pdflatex doesn't seem to like that very well.
 
Bound them with curly brackets {..}. What Latex package are you using? Most come with a PDF explaining the simple operations of Latex in the source folder.
 
kentm said:
Okay, now I've got another question:

What if I want to have negative bounds like this:

\int_-3^3?
Compound expressions should be enclosed in curly braces:

\int_{-3}^3 dx

Also, as an alternate answer to your original question, if you just want a long vertical bar try \bigg|

For example,

\int_{-3}^3 dx = x \bigg|_{-3}^3 = 3 - (-3) = 6

(if you think \bigg| looks too big you can drop down a size with \big| )
 
Larne said:
\int_{-3}^3 dx = x \bigg|_{-3}^3 = 3 - (-3) = 6

(if you think \bigg| looks too big you can drop down a size with \big| )

and if you have an expression which is tall enough of itself, you may just want to use left and right;
\int_{-3}^3 x^2 dx = \left. \frac{1}{3} x^3 \right|_{-3}^3 = \cdots
(note the use of the \left. - otherwise LaTeX will complain!)
 

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