Mathematical Expressions
Document Structure
Mathematical Symbols in LaTeX
LaTeX provides a vast collection of mathematical symbols. This guide covers the most commonly used symbols and how to typeset them in your documents.
Greek Letters
Greek letters are frequently used in mathematical notation:
| Letter | Lowercase | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha | \alpha | |
| Beta | \beta | |
| Gamma | \gamma | |
| Delta | \delta | |
| Epsilon | \epsilon | |
| Zeta | \zeta | |
| Theta | \theta | |
| Pi | \pi | |
| Sigma | \sigma | |
| Omega | \omega |
Mathematical Operators
Common mathematical operators and their LaTeX commands:
| Type | Command | Result | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | \pm | Plus-minus | |
| Basic | \mp | Minus-plus | |
| Basic | \times | Multiplication | |
| Basic | \div | Division | |
| Basic | \cdot | Center dot | |
| Comparison | \leq | Less than or equal | |
| Comparison | \geq | Greater than or equal | |
| Comparison | \neq | Not equal | |
| Comparison | \approx | Approximately equal | |
| Comparison | \equiv | Equivalent |
Set Theory Symbols
Symbols commonly used in set theory:
| Command | Result | Description |
|---|---|---|
\in | Element of | |
\notin | Not an element of | |
\subset | Subset | |
\subseteq | Subset or equal | |
\cup | Union | |
\cap | Intersection | |
\emptyset | Empty set | |
\forall | For all | |
\exists | There exists | |
\nexists | There does not exist |
Arrows
Various arrow symbols and their meanings:
| Command | Result | Description |
|---|---|---|
\rightarrow | Right arrow | |
\leftarrow | Left arrow | |
\Rightarrow | Double right arrow | |
\Leftarrow | Double left arrow | |
\leftrightarrow | Left-right arrow | |
\mapsto | Maps to |
Remember to include \usepackage{amssymb} in your document preamble to access the full range of mathematical symbols.