1. Engineering Librarian
LaTeX for Beginners
Sarah Over, PhD
Engineering Librarian
November
Intro me + bkgd w/EN

2. LaTeX Workshop: Introduction to LaTeX Article Class Q&A + Practice
Today I’ll be giving you the basics to get started using this open source software, discuss where to get packages and tips online, go over the most common class – articles, and then we’ll have time for you to try using it yourself and I’ll be available to answer questions/troubleshoot

3. LaTeX Basics Document preparation system Different classes:
Coding + word processing
Different classes:
Article
Report
Book
Presentation (could have used LaTeX)
Input: text files
Output: PDF documents
Open source, different software/web options

4. Why use LaTeX? More control over:
Sections
Cross-references
Tables, figures, & equations
Advanced typesetting of complex formulas
Auto generation of bibliographies, indexes, and more
Transport equation in nonmultiplying medium

5. Disadvantages to LaTeX
Learning takes time
Can be more work than MS Word
Tracking changes/sharing issues
User errors…

6. LaTeX Concepts: Document Layout
Preamble: Document class, packages, commands, bibliography style
(begin document)
Front matter: title, author, abstract, …
Sections, subsections, subsubsections
Figures, equations, tables, references, …
Bibliography
(end document)

7. LaTeX Concepts: Environments
Tell LaTeX to start math, figure, and more – called environments
Example - Figure:
\begin{figure}
\includegraphics{folder/figurename.ext}
\caption{text for figure…}
\label{reffortext}
\end{figure}

8. LaTeX Concepts: Math Environment
In line math:
The $\sqrt{4}$ is two.
Displayed formulas:
\begin{equation}
\int_{0}^{\pi} \sin x \, dx = 2
\end{equation}
Matrix:
\begin{matrix}
a & b\\
c & d
\end{matrix}

9. Common LaTeX Errors
Not ending an environment for a figure, equation, matrix, etc.
“Overfull \hbox (xx.xxxxpt too wide) in paragraph…
Forgetting to load a package
And don’t forget to comment with the % symbol!

10. Where to find more information?
ctan.org/pkg
tex.stackexchange.com
Plus lots of books!
Ctan is a collection of TeX packages
Stackexchage is especially good for troubleshooting and finding what others have done

11. Additional LaTeX Help Contact: Sarah Over, PhD STEM Library 2403N
Go to my staff page and make an appointment

12. Now to the article class – a couple of examples of what to expect if you go directly to a journal. Then onto example article – equation & reference example.