LaTeX Glossary

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My.SUPA has been setup to allow maths to be written quickly using LaTeX notation. This can be included anywhere you see a text box in your course area -- including news or social forums, web pages and wikis. The format for entering LaTeX in My.SUPA is to wrap the code between two pairs of dollar signs. $$ a=b+c $$


If you are looking at this for the first time, please read the entries under 01 Getting Started for an overview. The list of entries may be viewed by categories or alphabetically.

01 Getting Started | 02 Arithmetic expressions | 03 Font Styles | 04 Delimiters
05 Spaces | 06 Symbols | 07 Relations | 09 Structures | 10 Feynman Diagrams
11 Other LaTeX Software
Browse the glossary using this index

Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL

S

sigma (lower case greek letter)

$$\sigma$$ gives \sigma

Sigma (upper case greek letter)

$$\Sigma$$ gives \Sigma

smiley

$$~\unitlength{.6}~\picture(100){~~(50,50){\circle(99)}~ ~(20,55;50,0;2){+1$\hat\bullet}~~(50,40){\bullet}~~(50,35){\circle(50,25;34)}~ ~(50,35){\circle(50,45;34)}}$$  is ~\unitlength{.6}~\picture(100){~~(50,50){\circle(99)}~ ~(20,55;50,0;2){+1$\hat\bullet}~~(50,40){\bullet}~~(50,35){\circle(50,25;34)}~ ~(50,35){\circle(50,45;34)}}

square bracket

  • Synatx: \left[...\right]
  • Ex.: $$\left[a,b\right]$$ gives \left[a,b\right]

square root

  • $$\sqrt{a}$$ or $$\sqrt~a$$ gives \sqrt~a
  • Use braces for terms with more than one character: $$\sqrt{x+y}$$ gives

\sqrt{x+y}

subscript

  • The command character "_" triggers subscription of the following expression(s).
  • For more than one subscripted character put them in braces {...}.
  • Use font sizing commands for appropriate sizing.
  • Ex.:$$x_1$$ gives

x_1

  • Ex.:$$a_{m+2n}$$ gives

a_{m+2n}

  • Ex. (with specific sizing):  $$x_{\small1}=a_{\small{m+2n}}$$ gives

x_{\small1}=a_{\small{m+2n}}

  • Combine subscripting with superscripting (command character "^").
    Syntax: Expr_{subExpr}^{supExpr}.
  • Ex.: $$A_{\small{i,j,k}}^{\small{-n+2}}$$ gives

A_{\small{i,j,k}}^{\small{-n+2}}

sum (summation)

  • General syntax for symbols with a kind of lower and upper limits:

\symbolname_{lowerexpression}^{upperexpression}

  • In general, there are two ways how these lower and upper expressions can be placed: centered below and above the symbol or in a subscript / superscript manner. In the first case the symbol name is preceded by the word "big", in the second there is no prefix.
  • Syntax for summation symbol:

$$\bigsum_{i=k}^{n}$$   gives  

\bigsum_{i=k}^{n}

and

$$\sum_{i=k}^{n}$$   gives 

\sum_{i=k}^{n}

  • Use font size commands for a nicer picture:

$$\LARGE\bigsum_{\small{i=1}}^{\small{n}}$$   gives  

\LARGE\bigsum_{\small{i=1}}^{\small{n}}

and

$$\large\sum_{\small{i=1}}^{\small{n}}$$   gives 

\large\sum_{\small{i=1}}^{\small{n}}

superscript

  • The command character "^" triggers superscription of the following expression(s).
  • For more than one superscripted character put them in braces {...}.
  • Use font sizing commands for appropriate sizing.
  • Ex.: $$x^2$$ gives

x^2

  • Ex.: $$a^{m+2n}$$ gives

a^{m+2n}

  • Ex. (with specific sizing): $$x^{\small2}=a^{\small{m+2n}}$$ gives

x^{\small2}=a^{\small{m+2n}}

  • Combine superscripting with subscripting (command character "_").
    Syntax: Expr_{subExpr}^{supExpr}.
  • Ex.: $$A_{\small{i,j,k}}^{\small{-n+2}}$$ gives

A_{\small{i,j,k}}^{\small{-n+2}}