LaTeX

LaTeX is a markup language used by much of the mathematics community for creating beautifully typeset documents which include all sorts of mathematical symbols. I encourage (and in some cases require) you to try it out!

I’ve put together this page in an attempt to help you get started using LaTeX. If you have suggestions, etc., please feel free to pass them along.

Big Disclaimer: Proceed at your own risk. Some of what appears below is what has worked for me, some is what I hear has worked for others. I make no claim that it will work for you, that the links work, that the programs are bug (or virus) free, etc.

With that out of the way, let’s proceed.

Acquiring LaTeX

• Mac users should download the MacTex package, which includes the front-end application TeXShop.
• Windows users should download proText.
• Linux users can download the typesetting engine TeX Live, though many distributions of Linux come with a LaTeX engine.
• Those who wish to work solely in the cloud should consider using ShareLatex, in which case you don’t need to acquire anything on your local machine. Another cloud service is Overleaf.

Once you have Tex on your machine, you’ll want to edit text in an environment which is Tex friendly. As is the case for many programming languages, there exist a number of front-end applications which provide a text-editing environment designed to be compatible with LaTeX, and from which you can call the typesetting engine.

• I use TeXShop, which is free, but is only for Mac machines.
• The free programs TeXworks and texmaker work across platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux) and seem easy to use.
• Many Linux users use Emacs for text editing, though it has been said: “Emacs is a text editor, in the same way the blue whale is a mammal.“
• Of course, if you’re working in the cloud then you don’t need to worry about any of these.

Many other options exist. You might want to consult the Wikipedia page comparing TeX editors. As is always the case when downloading software to your machine, caveat emptor!

More Resources

• The LaTeX Wikibook can be a good resource.
• The TeX Users Group website has a plethora of links.
• Additional packages, and documentation for all packages, are available at CTAN.
• Some suggested online resources include:
  • The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX2e by Tobias Oetiker,
  • LaTeX Tutorials by Andy Roberts,
  • Assorted LaTeX files by Will Robertson,
  • Cheat Sheet by Winston Chang. Another by Dave Richeson.
  • Information about creating posters can be found here and here.
• The Detexify site is a fun way to spend lots of time.
• I really like George Gratzer’s book More Math Into LaTeX. [Powell’s]
• Ask around: Your colleagues who have LaTeX experience are a good resource. When in doubt, ask the internet.
• The LaTeX2WP code is nice for WordPress bloggers.
• This blog has some nice examples of doing fancy things.
• The title of this post Beautiful fractions and units says it all. (Also, see that page’s list of links.)