LaTeX for Physicists
To get LaTex running on a windows system,
- Download and install MikTex
- Download and install TeXnicCenter
- Download the LaTex for Physicists Header
- Copy the header to the folder where you will save your document
- Add \input{header.tex} to the first line of your document as in this template
The LaTeX for Physicists Header has the following features:
- Sets font size to 11pt
- Includes commonly needed packages
- Reduces page margins to 0.75in for more space
- Redefines \maketitle to save space
- Removes page numbers
- Changes enumeration to letters as in physics exercises
- \v{ } makes bold vectors (\v is redefined to \vaccent)
- \uv{ } makes bold unit vectors with hats
- \gv{ } makes bold vectors of greek letters
- \abs{ } makes the absolute value symbol
- \avg{ } makes the angled average symbol
- \d{ }{ } makes derivatives (\d is redefined to \underdot)
- \dd{ }{ } makes double derivatives
- \pd{ }{ } makes partial derivatives
- \pdd{ }{ } makes double partial derivatives
- \pdc{ }{ }{ } makes thermodynamics partial derivatives
- \ket{ } makes Dirac kets
- \bra{ } makes Dirac bras
- \braket{ }{ } makes Dirac brackets
- \matrixel{ }{ }{ } makes Dirac matrix elements
- \grad{ } makes a gradient operator
- \div{ } makes a divergence operator (\div is redefined to \divsymb)
- \curl{ } makes a curl operator
- \={ } makes numbers appear over equal signs (\= is redefined to \baraccent)
General LaTeX tips:
- Use "$ ... $" for inline equations
- Use "\[ ... \]" for equations on their own line
- Use "\begin{center} ... \end{center}" to center something
- Use "\includegraphics[width=?cm]{filename.eps}" for images - must compile to dvi then use dvipdfm from a batch file
- Use "\begin{multicols}{2} ... \end{multicols}" for two columns
- Use "\begin{enumerate} \item ... \end{enumerate}" for parts of physics exercises
- Use "\section*{ }" for sections without numbering
- Use "\begin{cases} ... \end{cases}" for piecewise functions
- Use "\mathcal{ }" for a caligraphic font
- Use "\mathbb{ }" for a blackboard bold font
Below is a list of commonly used builtin symbols
LaTeX Symbol Search - search for LaTeX code by its mathematical name
Comprehensive List of Symbols
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