"Trouble with Vector Symbols in Drafts - What to do?"

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the use of vector symbols in LaTeX, specifically addressing issues related to the command \vec and its application in a draft. Participants explore the conventions for inserting vector symbols and the implications of using numerical values versus variables.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the convention for inserting the vector symbol, noting that their draft displays -(\vec{2.5})^2 correctly in preview but shows the command as troublesome and underlined in red.
  • Another participant clarifies the use of braces in LaTeX commands, indicating that they are not required for single characters but necessary for multiple characters.
  • A later reply suggests that the red underlining may be due to the spellchecker in the editor, which may not recognize LaTeX commands as valid words.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying perspectives on the issue of the red underlining, with some suggesting it is a spellchecker issue while others focus on the correct usage of LaTeX commands. No consensus is reached regarding the underlying cause of the problem.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the broader implications of using numerical values in vector notation versus variables, nor does it clarify the specific behavior of the editor's spellchecker.

Janosh89
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Can anyone help? What is the convention for inserting the vector symbol?
I have a draft with -(\vec{2.5})^2 which displays correctly in preview
##-(\vec{2.5})^2\\##
why is vec troublesome and underlined in red?? Should I ignore!
I realize that I'm not using a variable.
 
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Janosh89 said:
Can anyone help? What is the convention for inserting the vector symbol?
I have a draft with -(\vec{2.5})^2 which displays correctly in preview
##-(\vec{2.5})^2\\##
why is vec troublesome and underlined in red?? Should I ignore!
I realize that I'm not using a variable.
What you have is how this command is used. I don't see any red underlining.

##\vec x## - Raw script \vec x
##\vec {x_1}## - Raw script \vec{x_1}
The braces, { }, used in the 2nd example are not required in this and most other commands when what follows the command is a single character. If there are two or more characters, you have to use braces to indicate what is included.

Before anyone else jumps into comment about 2.5 not being a vector, this post is about LaTeX use, not vectors per se.
 
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Thanks for the full description, Mark44
 
The red underlining is probably the spellchecker doing that in the editor. Those are not very sophisticated when it comes to anything that is not a word of the English language.
 
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