My favorite LaTex distribution is TexLive. You can download TexLive free TUG, the Tex Users Group, at

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Alan Burke
6 years ago
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1 Chapter 1 LaTex Workshop 1.1 Getting Started 1.2 Tex and LaTex Tex is a computer typesetting system that contains a lot of functions to make mathematics look good on paper. LaTex is a set of programs build on the Tex system to make production of documents, like theses easier Getting Tex My favorite LaTex distribution is TexLive. You can download TexLive free TUG, the Tex Users Group, at Getting a Tex Editor The Tex system is not enough, you need a program to edit the LaTex files and to launch the LaTex program. I use WinEdit, but that costs $40. You can use TecnicCenter available at for free. This is loaded on the library computer. There is some setup after you download and install both Tex and TecnicCenter Configuring TecnicCenter The program needs to know where to find the the main Tex executables. In my TexLive installation these are located at C:/TeX Root Directory/bin/win32. Basically, you have to search for the file latex.exe. Don t worry when it asks for a postscript viewer; you will view the output as a pdf. 1.4 Your First LaTex Document In computer land, the first program you write displays. Tex is a document programming language, so we need to write a LaTex program to produce our document. Open a new document and type in the following: 1.5 Compiling Your First Document Now, you have to run LaTex to turn you program into a document. In TecNicCenter, select LaTex=>DVI=>PS=>PDF and push the Build and View Current File icon. This compiles the document. Look in the window at the bottom for errors. If successful, the PDF viewer is launched and you should see. 1

2 Chapter 2 Math 2.1 Writing Math Commands in Tex start with a \, so \Sigma displays Σ. In LaTex, which is a document preparation system built on top of the Tex typesetting system, commands are placed in a begin/end block. Try the following: \vec F= -\nabla V Notice, LaTex numbered the equation for you. 2.2 Errors Just like other programming languages, if you type something in incorrectly you will get an error. This will show in the window at the bottom of TexNicCenter. Try spelling a command wrong and see what you get. Use x or control z to get out of the error view. 2.3 Something for Quantum Mechanics The infinite square well dispersion relation demonstrates some commonly used LaTex commands. The fraction is provided by frac and I made the parentheses larger with bigg. E=\hbar\omega=\frac{\hbar^2 k^2}{2m}=\frac{\hbar^2}{2m}\bigg(\frac{n\pi}{a}\bigg)^2 Should turn out looking like E = hω = h2 k 2 ( ) 2 2m = h2 nπ 2m a 2.4 A Hamiltonian Matrix From the quantum practice test 2 fall 2008, note the switch to \[ and \] as a shorthand for begin/end equation and my use of the delarray package. The main packages are defined in either Lamport s book or the LaTex companion. 2

3 \usepackage{delarray} \[\hat H= \hbar\omega\begin{array}({ccc}) 3 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 3 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 5 \\ \end{array} \] This should produce a nice diagonal Hamiltonian A Square Well From Test 1 in fall 2008, \usepackage{delarray} \[V(x)=\left\{ \begin{array}{ll} 0 & \mbox{if $x<-a$}\\ -V_0 & \mbox{if $-a<x<0$}\\ V_0 & \mbox{if $0<x<a/4$}\\ -V_0 & \mbox{if $a/4<x<a$}\\ 0 & \mbox{if $x>a$} \end{array} \right. \] Ĥ = hω which should end up looking like 0 if x < a V 0 if a < x < 0 V (x) = V 0 if 0 < x < a/4 V 0 if a/4 < x < a 0 if x > a 3

4 Chapter 3 General Features 3.1 References I also find LaTex useful because it manages reference and citations for you. The following attaches a label to the equation above and then references it in the text. The force is related to the potential through Eq \ref{booger}. \label{booger} \vec F= -\nabla V This should produce something like The force is related to the potential through Eq 1.1. F = V (3.1) Note, LaTex needs to be run TWICE to reset a reference, so if you ran it once you got Eq??. 3.2 Packages Since Tex is a programming language, people have written many special sets of LaTex code to accomplish specific tasks. These are loaded before the using \usepackage. For example, to control the placement of graphics, I use the package graphicx, so to put the figures in the mechanics tests I wrote \usepackage[dvips]{graphicx} Consider the figure below, \includegraphics{prb2.eps}. Encapsulated postscript is the preferred LaTex image format. Note, the blank line starts a new paragraph. The output should look like A ω. 4

5 3.3 Style Files When writing your PdD thesis, the graduate college will have a huge number of insane formatting requirements. At most universities, there is a LaTex style file floating around that takes care of everything. Unfortunately not here, so I stole one for honors theses from Arizona State. It is linked to the wiki at and called arkthesis.sty. Download it and put it in the same file as your tex file. The text below and the resulting PDF are at the wiki. Now set up your thesis: \documentclass[11pt]{report} \usepackage {arkthesis} \usepackage{graphicx} \sloppy \honorsthesis \oneandhalfspace \renewcommand{\thesisauthor}{bernadette J. Stewart} \renewcommand{\thesismonth}{august} \renewcommand{\thesisdefensemonth}{july} \renewcommand{\thesisyear}{2006} %% Your year of graduation. \renewcommand{\thesistitle}{a Study of the Evolution of a Physics Textbook} \renewcommand{\thesissupervisor}{william Oliver} \renewcommand{\thesisdedication}{this is for Mom, who dared to advise me for the past four years,\\ and for Dad, who bore with me for the duration of this project.\\ And many thanks to \emph{the Magnetic Fields}, for making endless hours of data analysis a bit less burdensome. } \thesistitlepage %% Generate the title page. \begin{thesisabstract} In this study, two editions of a widely-used physics text, published almost two decades apart, \end{thesisabstract} \thesisdedicationpage %% Generate the dedication page. \begin{thesisacknowledgments} I would like to thank Donald P. Hayes for his helpful communications over the course of this project. \end{thesisacknowledgments} \tableofcontents \listoftables \listoffigures \chapter{introduction} \label{chap:intro} In 1982, John Clement introduced the idea of conceptual primitives...mental constructs, the understanding of which is a 3.4 BibTex LaTex will also manage citations for you, renumbering as you edit. The program is called BibTex. Both the paper and the full thesis online show examples of using BibTex. 3.5 RevTex The American Physical Society maintains its own set of LaTex macros for document preparation called RevTex, for Review Tex. You now have enough knowledge to download revtex and start a paper. 5

Mikkel Madsen

Mikkel Madsen latex@mikkl.dk After completing this course, you: Have an understanding of what LaTeX is Have an idea of what things can be easily accomplished in LaTeX Know where to look for help DON T