Math 233

In the following pages I have excerpted some pages from The Not So Short Introduction to LATEX 2,
by Tobias Oetiker. The full text of this document is also posted on our class Blackboard page, under
“Reference.”

1
54 Typesetting Mathematical Formulae

placement of \bar for a variable with subscript. The apostrophe mark ’

gives a prime:

$f(x) = x^2 \qquad f’(x)

= 2x \qquad f’’(x) = 2\\[5pt] f (x) = x2 f 0 (x) = 2x f 00 (x) = 2
\hat{XY} \quad \widehat{XY} ˆ
XY d
XY x¯0 x̄0
\quad \bar{x_0} \quad \bar{x}_0$

Vectors are often specified by adding small arrow symbols on top of

a variable. This is done with the \vec command. The two commands
\overrightarrow and \overleftarrow are useful to denote the vector from
A to B:

$\vec{a} \qquad
\vec{AB} \qquad ~ −−→
~a AB AB
\overrightarrow{AB}$

Names of log-like functions are often typeset in an upright font, and

not in italics as variables are, so LATEX supplies the following commands to
typeset the most important function names:
\arccos \cos \csc \exp \ker \limsup
\arcsin \cosh \deg \gcd \lg \ln
\arctan \cot \det \hom \lim \log
\arg \coth \dim \inf \liminf \max
\sinh \sup \tan \tanh \min \Pr
\sec \sin

\[\lim_{x \rightarrow 0} sin x

lim =1
\frac{\sin x}{x}=1\] x→0 x

For functions missing from the list, use the \DeclareMathOperator com-
mand. There is even a starred version for functions with limits. This com-
mand works only in the preamble so the commented lines in the example
below must be put into the preamble.

%\DeclareMathOperator{\argh}{argh}
%\DeclareMathOperator*{\nut}{Nut} 3 argh = 2 Nut
x=1
\[3\argh = 2\nut_{x=1}\]

For the modulo function, there are two commands: \bmod for the binary
operator “a mod b” and \pmod for expressions such as “x ≡ a (mod b):”

$a\bmod b \\ a mod b
x\equiv a \pmod{b}$ x ≡ a (mod b)
3.8 List of Mathematical Symbols 63

3.8 List of Mathematical Symbols

The following tables demonstrate all the symbols normally accessible from
math mode.
To use the symbols listed in Tables 3.12–3.8,8 the package amssymb must
be loaded in the preamble of the document and the AMS math fonts must
be installed on the system. If the AMS package and fonts are not installed
on your system, have a look at CTAN:macros/latex/required/amslatex.
An even more comprehensive list of symbols can be found at CTAN:info/
symbols/comprehensive.

Table 3.1: Math Mode Accents.

â \hat{a} ǎ \check{a} ã \tilde{a}
à \grave{a} ȧ \dot{a} ä \ddot{a}
ā \bar{a} ~a \vec{a} [
AAA \widehat{AAA}
á \acute{a} ă \breve{a} ]
AAA \widetilde{AAA}
å \mathring{a}

Table 3.2: Greek Letters.

There is no uppercase of some of the letters like \Alpha, \Beta and so on,
because they look the same as normal roman letters: A, B. . .

α \alpha θ \theta o o υ \upsilon

β \beta ϑ \vartheta π \pi φ \phi
γ \gamma ι \iota $ \varpi ϕ \varphi
δ \delta κ \kappa ρ \rho χ \chi
 \epsilon λ \lambda % \varrho ψ \psi
ε \varepsilon µ \mu σ \sigma ω \omega
ζ \zeta ν \nu ς \varsigma
η \eta ξ \xi τ \tau
Γ \Gamma Λ \Lambda Σ \Sigma Ψ \Psi
∆ \Delta Ξ \Xi Υ \Upsilon Ω \Omega
Θ \Theta Π \Pi Φ \Phi

8
These tables were derived from symbols.tex by David Carlisle and subsequently
changed extensively as suggested by Josef Tkadlec.
64 Typesetting Mathematical Formulae

Table 3.3: Binary Relations.

You can negate the following symbols by prefixing them with a \not com-
mand.
< < > > = =
≤ \leq or \le ≥ \geq or \ge ≡ \equiv
.
 \ll  \gg = \doteq
≺ \prec  \succ ∼ \sim
 \preceq  \succeq ' \simeq
⊂ \subset ⊃ \supset ≈ \approx
⊆ \subseteq ⊇ \supseteq =
∼ \cong
@ \sqsubset a A \sqsupset a 1 \Join a
v \sqsubseteq w \sqsupseteq ./ \bowtie
∈ \in 3 \ni , \owns ∝ \propto
` \vdash a \dashv |= \models
| \mid k \parallel ⊥ \perp
^ \smile _ \frown  \asymp
: : ∈
/ \notin 6= \neq or \ne
a
Use the latexsym package to access this symbol

Table 3.4: Binary Operators.

+ + − -
± \pm ∓ \mp / \triangleleft
· \cdot ÷ \div . \triangleright
× \times \ \setminus ? \star
∪ \cup ∩ \cap ∗ \ast
t \sqcup u \sqcap ◦ \circ
∨ \vee , \lor ∧ \wedge , \land • \bullet
⊕ \oplus \ominus  \diamond
 \odot  \oslash ] \uplus
⊗ \otimes \bigcirc q \amalg
4 \bigtriangleup 5 \bigtriangledown † \dagger

\lhd a  \rhd a ‡ \ddagger
 \unlhd a  \unrhd a o \wr
3.8 List of Mathematical Symbols 65

Table 3.5: BIG Operators.

P S W
\sum \bigcup \bigvee
Q T V
\prod \bigcap \bigwedge
` F U
\coprod \bigsqcup \biguplus
R H J
\int \oint \bigodot
L N
\bigoplus \bigotimes

Table 3.6: Arrows.

← \leftarrow or \gets ←− \longleftarrow
→ \rightarrow or \to −→ \longrightarrow
↔ \leftrightarrow ←→ \longleftrightarrow
⇐ \Leftarrow ⇐= \Longleftarrow
⇒ \Rightarrow =⇒ \Longrightarrow
⇔ \Leftrightarrow ⇐⇒ \Longleftrightarrow
7→ \mapsto 7−→ \longmapsto
←- \hookleftarrow ,→ \hookrightarrow
( \leftharpoonup * \rightharpoonup
) \leftharpoondown + \rightharpoondown

\rightleftharpoons ⇐⇒ \iff (bigger spaces)
↑ \uparrow ↓ \downarrow
l \updownarrow ⇑ \Uparrow
⇓ \Downarrow m \Updownarrow
% \nearrow & \searrow
. \swarrow - \nwarrow
; \leadsto a
a
Use the latexsym package to access this symbol

Table 3.7: Arrows as Accents.

−−→
AB \overrightarrow{AB} AB
−−→ \underrightarrow{AB}
←−−
AB \overleftarrow{AB} AB
←−− \underleftarrow{AB}
←→
AB \overleftrightarrow{AB} AB
←→ \underleftrightarrow{AB}
66 Typesetting Mathematical Formulae

Table 3.8: Delimiters.

( ( ) ) ↑ \uparrow
[ [ or \lbrack ] ] or \rbrack ↓ \downarrow
{ \{ or \lbrace } \} or \rbrace l \updownarrow
h \langle i \rangle ⇑ \Uparrow
| | or \vert k \| or \Vert ⇓ \Downarrow
/ / \ \backslash m \Updownarrow
b \lfloor c \rfloor
e \rceil d \lceil

Table 3.9: Large Delimiters.

  
 \lgroup  \rgroup  \lmoustache
 w 


 \arrowvert w \Arrowvert 
 \bracevert
 \rmoustache

Table 3.10: Miscellaneous Symbols.

.. ..
... \dots ··· \cdots . \vdots . \ddots
~ \hbar ı \imath  \jmath ` \ell
< \Re = \Im ℵ \aleph ℘ \wp
∀ \forall ∃ \exists f \mho a ∂ \partial
0 ’ 0 \prime ∅ \emptyset ∞ \infty
∇ \nabla 4 \triangle 2 \Box a 3 \Diamond a
√
⊥ \bot > \top ∠ \angle \surd
♦ \diamondsuit ♥ \heartsuit ♣ \clubsuit ♠ \spadesuit
¬ \neg or \lnot [ \flat \ \natural ] \sharp
a
Use the latexsym package to access this symbol

Table 3.11: Non-Mathematical Symbols.

These symbols can also be used in text mode.

† \dag § \S © \copyright ® \textregistered

‡ \ddag ¶ \P £ \pounds % \%
3.8 List of Mathematical Symbols 67

Table 3.12: AMS Delimiters.

p \ulcorner q \urcorner x \llcorner y \lrcorner

| \lvert | \rvert k \lVert k \rVert

Table 3.13: AMS Greek and Hebrew.

z \digamma κ \varkappa i \beth ‫ג‬ \gimel k \daleth

Table 3.14: Math Alphabets.

See Table 6.4 on 111 for other math fonts.

Example Command Required package
ABCDEabcde1234 \mathrm{ABCDE abcde 1234}
ABCDEabcde1234 \mathit{ABCDE abcde 1234}
ABCDEabcde1234 \mathnormal{ABCDE abcde 1234}
ABCDE \mathcal{ABCDE abcde 1234}
A BC DE \mathscr{ABCDE abcde 1234} mathrsfs
ABCDEabcde1234 \mathfrak{ABCDE abcde 1234} amsfonts or amssymb
ABCDEa1234 \mathbb{ABCDE abcde 1234} amsfonts or amssymb

Table 3.15: AMS Binary Operators.

u \dotplus  \centerdot
n \ltimes o \rtimes > \divideontimes
d \doublecup e \doublecap r \smallsetminus
Y \veebar Z \barwedge [ \doublebarwedge

\boxplus  \boxminus  \circleddash
 \boxtimes \boxdot } \circledcirc
| \intercal ~ \circledast i \rightthreetimes
g \curlyvee f \curlywedge h \leftthreetimes
68 Typesetting Mathematical Formulae

Table 3.16: AMS Binary Relations.

l \lessdot m \gtrdot + \doteqdot

6 \leqslant > \geqslant : \risingdotseq
0 \eqslantless 1 \eqslantgtr ; \fallingdotseq
5 \leqq = \geqq P \eqcirc
≪ \lll or \llless ≫ \ggg $ \circeq
. \lesssim & \gtrsim , \triangleq
/ \lessapprox ' \gtrapprox l \bumpeq
≶ \lessgtr ≷ \gtrless m \Bumpeq
Q \lesseqgtr R \gtreqless ∼ \thicksim
S \lesseqqgtr T \gtreqqless ≈ \thickapprox
4 \preccurlyeq < \succcurlyeq u \approxeq
2 \curlyeqprec 3 \curlyeqsucc v \backsim
- \precsim % \succsim w \backsimeq
w \precapprox v \succapprox  \vDash
j \subseteqq k \supseteqq \Vdash
q \shortparallel c \Supset  \Vvdash
J \blacktriangleleft A \sqsupset  \backepsilon
B \vartriangleright ∵ \because ∝ \varpropto
I \blacktriangleright b \Subset G \between
D \trianglerighteq a \smallfrown t \pitchfork
C \vartriangleleft p \shortmid ` \smallsmile
E \trianglelefteq ∴ \therefore @ \sqsubset
3.8 List of Mathematical Symbols 69

Table 3.17: AMS Arrows.

L99 \dashleftarrow 99K \dashrightarrow

⇔ \leftleftarrows ⇒ \rightrightarrows
 \leftrightarrows  \rightleftarrows
W \Lleftarrow V \Rrightarrow
 \twoheadleftarrow  \twoheadrightarrow
 \leftarrowtail  \rightarrowtail
 \leftrightharpoons
\rightleftharpoons
 \Lsh  \Rsh
" \looparrowleft # \looparrowright
x \curvearrowleft y \curvearrowright
\circlearrowleft  \circlearrowright
( \multimap  \upuparrows
 \downdownarrows  \upharpoonleft
 \upharpoonright  \downharpoonright
\rightsquigarrow ! \leftrightsquigarrow
70 Typesetting Mathematical Formulae

Table 3.18: AMS Negated Binary Relations and Arrows.

≮ \nless ≯ \ngtr & \varsubsetneqq

 \lneq \gneq ' \varsupsetneqq
 \nleq  \ngeq " \nsubseteqq

\nleqslant  \ngeqslant # \nsupseteqq
 \lneqq \gneqq - \nmid
\lvertneqq
\gvertneqq ∦ \nparallel
 \nleqq  \ngeqq . \nshortmid
 \lnsim  \gnsim / \nshortparallel
 \lnapprox  \gnapprox  \nsim
⊀ \nprec  \nsucc  \ncong
 \npreceq  \nsucceq 0 \nvdash
 \precneqq  \succneqq 2 \nvDash
 \precnsim  \succnsim 1 \nVdash
 \precnapprox  \succnapprox 3 \nVDash
( \subsetneq ) \supsetneq 6 \ntriangleleft
\varsubsetneq ! \varsupsetneq 7 \ntriangleright
* \nsubseteq + \nsupseteq 5 \ntrianglelefteq
$ \subsetneqq % \supsetneqq 4 \ntrianglerighteq
8 \nleftarrow 9 \nrightarrow = \nleftrightarrow
: \nLeftarrow ; \nRightarrow < \nLeftrightarrow

Table 3.19: AMS Miscellaneous.

~ \hbar } \hslash k \Bbbk

 \square  \blacksquare s \circledS
M \vartriangle N \blacktriangle { \complement
O \triangledown H \blacktriangledown a \Game
♦ \lozenge  \blacklozenge F \bigstar
∠ \angle ] \measuredangle
 \diagup  \diagdown 8 \backprime
@ \nexists ` \Finv ∅ \varnothing
ð \eth ^ \sphericalangle f \mho