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Frequently Asked Questions for AMS Authors

 
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Note to authors

  • This FAQ is intended to be a living document.
  • The questions answered here are ones that have already arisen in communications with AMS authors.
  • If you don't find the answer you need, please send your question to tech-support@ams.org.
  • If your question involves specific uses of input coding, please send a brief but complete and TeXable file, along with the log from your attempt to process it. Otherwise, we may have to request more information before we can tackle the problem.
  • All your comments are welcome. We need your input to make this FAQ truly useful.
  • Most technical material included here deals with AMS-LaTeX. We strongly encourage authors who intend to publish a book or an article with the AMS to use LaTeX 2e and AMS-LaTeX for preparation of their manuscripts. (See the separate list of reasons to use LaTeX 2e.) However, since some authors do choose to use AMS-TeX or even Plain TeX, questions about those topics are included here as well.
  • Make sure you have the most recent release of the AMS-LaTeX or AMS-TeX distribution that you are using (click to download). Many of the problems covered in this FAQ result from using obsolete versions.

Non-technical Topics

Technical Topics

Note to authors: Do you have more questions that you'd like to see covered here? Send them to tech-support@ams.org.

Note to editors: If you are an editor of a proceedings volume or other collection for an AMS book series, please see the AMS Editor's Package. This package contains instructions and templates for producing the front matter (table of contents, preface, etc.) and common bibliography or index for such collections.

Contacting AMS

How can I find out the current status of my journal article?

  • For accepted AMS journal articles, check the on-line manuscript tracking system. You will need your AMS ID and Article ID, which appear in the upper right-hand corner of the Consent to Publish Agreement.
     
  • For articles not yet accepted, contact the responsible editor, or if you did not select a particular editor, the managing editor of the journal. If you tried that, but got no response after a week, you may send a query to jrnl-initsub@ams.org.

I lost my member ID / paper ID. How do I find that information?

  • To obtain your AMS ID, write to cust-serv@ams.org.
     
  • To obtain your Article ID, write to the production editor of the journal at XXXX-query@ams.org, substituting the journal code for XXXX. Journal codes are: JAMS, PROC, TRAN, BULL, MCOM, ECGD, ERT, JAG.

How can I communicate an address change?

  • If your address changes should be made in the AMS membership records, send the information to cust-serv@ams.org.
     
  • If the change affects a book that is not yet published, send the information to acquisitions@ams.org.
     
  • If the change affects a journal article that is not yet published, send the information to the journal production editor at XXXX-query@ams.org, substituting the journal code for XXXX.

I've found an error on one of the AMS web pages. Whom should I tell?

  • Errors on AMS web pages can be brought to the attention of the AMS Webmaster.

Back to topic list

Basic suggestions/Getting started

I've never used AMS-LaTeX before. I downloaded the author package, but it doesn't say what else I need to do. Can you give me instructions?

  • Make sure that you have TeX/LaTeX installed. If it isn't, choose an implementation suitable for your platform and the way you work:


    Here is some good advice on managing a one-person TeX system.
     
  • You will need to learn to use LaTeX.

  • There is a learning curve for (AMS-)LaTeX. If you expect to prepare only one paper for a proceedings volume, you may be better off looking for a technical typist at your institution or nearby to prepare the manuscript for you.

Use the AMS packages for authors and editors.

AMS author packages incorporate the style and format designed for AMS publications, with the various elements identified by descriptive commands. This structure should permit an author to concentrate on the "meat" of the presentation, rather than on its appearance. Author packages are

  • Available for both AMS-LaTeX and AMS-TeX. (AMS-LaTeX easily converts to a form suitable for on-line posting, and is preferred for journals.)
     
  • Available for most AMS journals and book series.
     
  • Available in generic versions if you don't know which series or if no specific package is available for a series.

The AMS Editor's Package contains instructions and templates for preparing the front matter (table of contents, preface, etc.) and common bibliography or index for proceedings volumes or other collections in AMS book series.

For journal articles, use only publicly available standard packages.

Journal articles are posted on-line, so their internal format must be uniform. To facilitate this, any journal article that is not submitted using an AMS author package is converted (either algorithmically or by hand) to AMS-LaTeX.

  • Macros in the preamble of a journal article may be defined only with \newcommand or \renewcommand.
     
  • Most nontrivial macro packages use \def and complicated "private" control sequence names. Therefore such packages cannot be embedded directly in an article for on-line processing.
     
  • If you need a supplementary package to produce some special notation, use only packages that are available from CTAN.
    • Check CTAN before starting to write your paper.
    • Avoid any package that is in a "nonfree", "LaTeX209" or "obsolete" area.
    • Always use the most current version of any supplementary package.
    • Check CTAN again before submitting your file.
       
  • If you have any questions about whether a particular package is acceptable, please check with AMS Technical Support.

Name your files clearly.

  • Include your own name or some unique descriptive term in each file name. Don't use "generic" names like article.tex, chapter1.tex, or figure1.eps.
     
  • Keep all file names reasonably short. A file name more than 20 characters in length can cause problems in production, including possible loss of a file.
     
  • Do not use spaces, accented letters, or special characters other than hyphen in the first part of the file name; these will cause production problems.
     
  • Use only lowercase letters in file names:
    • smith-fig-1.eps   is a good name;
    • Smith-Fig-1.EPS   will cause production problems.
  • Do not include any path in the call for a graphics file.
     
  • Failure to follow these guidelines may result in a request for you to revise, re-TeX, and resubmit your files.

Return forms promptly.

  • Consent to Publish -- your paper cannot be posted or published until the signed Consent to Publish Agreement has been received.
     
  • Permission for non-AMS material -- your paper or book cannot be published until all permissions for use of non-AMS material are received. Use this form to request permission.

Where can I find a subject classification for my paper (book)?

  • Search the 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification for a suitable classification code. No article or book will be published without at least one subject classification.
     
  • Subject classification codes are always assumed to be associated with a particular version of the Mathematics Subject Classification. The current version is dated 2000.

The AMS emailed me to tell me that my paper was too long and too wide for the AMS page format. Can you send me some sample pages?

  • A template showing the basic requirements for the page layout of all standard format books can be obtained as a Postscript or a PDF file. PDF Document
    An easy way to use the template is to copy it onto a clear transparency and use it as an overlay on the formatted output.
     
  • If you are using an AMS author package:
    • In AMS-LaTeX, do not modify the built-in dimensions.
    • In AMS-TeX, do not use  \magnification  to increase the type size. If the Acquisitions Editor has requested that you use a larger type size, see this question.
  • If you cannot use an AMS author package, you need to adhere to the dimensions and other specifications that were included in the original instructions sent to you by our Acquisitions Department.

My article title is too long to fit in the running heads. How can I get a shorter version?

  • This problem affects not just article titles but other kinds of headings as well. See the answer for AMS-LaTeX or AMS-TeX.

Where can I find documentation for AMS-LaTeX?

  • The AMS-LaTeX collection consists of two main parts: amsmath and the AMS document classes. The theorem facility (amsthm) is part of the class support. Documentation consists of three brief manuals and a number of example files:

  • The book More Math into LaTeX (4th edition), by George Grätzer, provides more detailed coverage and extensive examples of AMS-LaTeX.

Where can I find documentation for AMS-TeX?

Where can I find documentation for AMSFonts?

  • The AMSFonts User's Guide includes charts showing all the fonts as well as instructions for their use with (AMS-)LaTeX, AMS-TeX, and Plain TeX.

Back to topic list

Submitting files to AMS

I might like to publish work related to my Ph.D. thesis with the AMS. Must I have an electronic copy of such work, or may I submit a handwritten copy?

  • Before submitting a manuscript, you must decide in which journal or book series you would like it to be published.
     
  • For journals:
    • See the "About this journal" pages linked from our main journals page. Submission information can be found via a link on each such page.
    • Some journals publish only in particular areas, or have other restrictions such as maximum number of pages.
       
  • For books, see the page for new book proposals.
     
  • We strongly encourage electronic submission, preferably of files prepared using LaTeX and an AMS author package. For the purpose of initial submission, the generic package for a journal article or monograph is appropriate. These can be found as links on our Author information web page.

How do I transfer files to AMS?

My book (article) is composed of a number of files. Do I have to submit each file individually?

  • If your book or article requires multiple files, we prefer that you bundle them all together using the ZIP utility.
     
  • Bundling files has several advantages:
    • All your files will be kept together, so that nothing gets lost.
    • You will have to deliver only one file.
    • A .zip file will be much smaller than the individual files, saving transmission time.
    • If a file name duplicates one that already exists on the server, the file will be refused; bundling avoids name clash problems.
       
  • Please include a list of all files contained in the package, along with an indication of how they fit together.
     
  • Submit the bundle via the web server.

How can I obtain and use the ZIP utility?

Zip is available for nearly all current computer systems. It comes already installed on current Windows, Mac, and Unix systems.

  • Using Zip on a Windows system:
    • Create a temporary directory and copy all files into it.
    • "Select" all files by clicking on the first one, then hold down the shift key and click on the last one.
    • In the "File" menu, click on "Send to" and select "Compressed (zip) folder".
    • Submit the .zip file that was created via the web server.
       
  • Using Zip on a Macintosh:
    • Mac OS X:
      • Zip compression is built in. It is accessed by the use of contextual menus.
      • To compress one or more files, first select them, then Control-click on one of the files.
      • A contextual menu will appear. On that menu, select:
        • (version 10.5 and later) "Compress <file name>".
        • (before version 10.5) "Create archive".
    • Mac OS 9 and earlier:
      • There are currently no actively supported freeware or shareware programs to xip files on older Mac systems.
      • There is one commercial product, "Stuffit Standard Mac Classic", that is still available. It is available from http://my.smithmicro.com/store
    • Submit the .zip file that was created via the web server.
       
  • Creating a .zip file on a Unix system:
    • Create a temporary directory and copy all files into it.
    • Connect to that directory.
    • At a prompt, issue the command
      zip ../filename.zip *
    • The zip file will be in the parent directory. Submit it via the web server.

When I try to upload files to the AMS ftp site, I get a message "Permission denied on server." How do I transfer the files?

  • Perhaps you didn't connect to the incoming area. It's not permitted to upload files to the area where you are initially connected. After a successful login,
    cd incoming
    or select the "incoming" folder.
     
  • This might happen if another file in the area has the same name as the one you are trying to transfer. Perhaps

    • you already tried to transfer a file and the session was interrupted;
       
    • you have used "generic" file names like "preface.tex" or "chapter1.tex". We recommend including your own name as part of each file name (e.g., smith-chap1.tex), to increase the likelihood that the name is unique.
       
  • Bundling files is also helpful for avoiding name clashes.

Why does AMS ask for dvi files for books?

There are several reasons:

  • Most books produced at the AMS are "camera ready".
     
  • AMS cannot ensure that we have the same TeX environment as our authors. Therefore, the output we produce from TeXing a submission could produce output different from what the author expects.
     
  • A dvi file (with separate .eps files for graphics, as appropriate) can be converted to PostScript and processed expeditiously through our imagesetter, shortening the time from receipt of the files to start of the press run.

If I have to deliver a dvi file, why must I also submit the TeX files?

  • The files used to create AMS publications are archived for possible future use.
     
  • Future use may include revised editions, for which an author no longer has the original files.
     
  • When submitting your TeX files, be sure to include all supplementary packages, unless they are the current versions available from CTAN.
     
  • Having the TeX files available provides readily available information to the technical support staff in case an author encounters last-minute problems and requires assistance.

Why do I need to send you hard copy of my paper? I'm already sending you the TeX and dvi files.

  • We request a hard copy of your paper to compare against the electronic output to ensure that we are printing the latest approved version of your paper. Problems have been discovered in the comparisons, and this is one more "safecheck" before publication/posting of your work.
     
  • Remember to send hard copy of the graphics as well as the text.

If I have such simple corrections that cause me to resubmit (internal TOC with page numbers, numbering errors within the paper, [?] as references, etc.), why can't you do the corrections and TeX the file?

  • For camera-ready books/series, we do not TeX your files; by doing so, we may introduce an error into your paper that you will not see until it is in print. Because of this possibility, we do not want AMS authors to relinquish control of their manuscript.
     
  • Before submitting a paper to the AMS, please make sure that your references are showing up, your numbering systems are free of errors, and that there are no page numbers contained within internal TOCs. (See a separate question for guidance in removing page numbers from internal TOCs.)

Back to topic list

Citing AMS publications

In my bibliography, how do I cite a paper that has been posted on line but is not yet in print?

  • For an AMS journal, follow this example:
    Knese, Greg, A Schwarz lemma on the polydisk, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc., posted on March 30, 2007, PII S 0002-9939(07)08766-7 (to appear in print).
  • To find the posting date and PII for the paper, look it up under Recently Posted Papers in the on-line AMS journal archive. This information appears in the journal logo in the upper left-hand corner of the first page in the PDF file.
     
  • When referring to a particular section or theorem in such a paper, cite the section or theorem number. Do not use page numbers, as they will change when the article is printed in a journal issue.

My paper has been accepted for publication in a Contemporary Mathematics volume. It will also appear as part of my Ph.D. thesis. How do I credit the AMS as the original publisher?

  • If the paper appears as a unit, you can place an unnumbered footnote at the bottom of the first page:
    This paper was originally published in [title], Contemporary Mathematics, vol. nnn, American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 2007.
  • If the material is interspersed with the rest of the thesis, then the acknowledgment should be in a footnote at the beginning of the thesis:
    Material in this thesis was originally published in [title], Contemporary Mathematics, vol. nnn, American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 2007.
  • If your thesis is submitted for acceptance before the actual AMS publication, it would be appropriate to change "was originally published" to "will be published".

My article has been accepted for publication in an AMS journal. Am I permitted to post it on the arXiv?

  • Even if copyright is transferred to the AMS, authors are permitted to reproduce their own work "by any means for educational and scientific purposes". This includes posting it on the arXiv.
     
  • In any reproduction, the original publication must be credited with this statement: "First published in [journal name] in [volume and number, or year], published by the American Mathematical Society," and the copyright notice in proper form must be placed on all copies.
     
  • If you post a copy before publication, use this statement for the credit: "Accepted for publication by the [journal name] of the American Mathematical Society."

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Running (La)TeX

I've downloaded an author package, and I'm trying to TeX my file, but TeX tells me it can't find the new package. What can I do?

  • First, check that you have placed the package files in the TEXMF tree where TeX is supposed to look for them. For an AMS-LaTeX author package, the recommended location is TEXMF/tex/latex/ams-author-info.
     
  • Some implementations of TeX maintain a "filename database" in order to find files as quickly as possible. When you install a new package on such a system, you need to refresh this database.
     
  • The documentation for your TeX implementation or a FAQ on the relevant web site should contain instructions for refreshing the database. We know about these implementations:
  • If all else fails, install the package in the same directory as the source file for your document.

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LaTeX basics -- best practices

What is wrong with redefining short commands, like \L or \AA?

  • Such redefinitions preclude the use of the original meaning in, for example, the name of an author in a bibliography, possibly requiring input changes if this isn't discovered until text input is well underway.
     
  • The most serious side effects occur when such commands are redefined in a job that also requests \usepackage{hyperref}.
    • If the redefinition includes math commands, in particular a special math font, a spurious error may be reported at every element that is hyperlinked, e.g.
      ! LaTeX Error: \xxx allowed only in math mode.
    • This prevents the LaTeX run from completing error-free.
    • It also obscures genuine errors in the job log, with the result that errors could be preserved in the final output.
       
  • When the document is an article to be published in an AMS journal, there are additional considerations:
    • All AMS journals are hyperlinked for on-line posting.
    • Automated production procedures require error-free LaTeX compilation.
    • The article top matter and bibliography are translated to HTML for web presentation; author-defined commands are not recognized in this translation.
    • Thus all redefined commands must be renamed, leading to the possibility that errors may be introduced.
       
  • When an author provides a file that needs no changes, the time to publication is minimized, as is the possibility of introducing errors.

What commands shouldn't be redefined?

  • One- and two-letter commands that represent accented letters or accents themselves. In particular, the following are redefined by hyperref: 
    \L  \O  \c  \i  \k  \l  \o  \r  \v
  • Commands and environments that are essential to the structure established by the document class in use, such as 
    \section  \subsection  \caption  \ref  \cite  \bibitem  \MR
document  figure  table  thebibliography  theindex
    (These are examples only. This list is not exhaustive.)
     
  • Environments defined by the amsmath package, including 
    equation  array  cases  gather  multline
  • Commands that are primitive parts of the underlying TeX machinery: 
    \def  \font  \eject  \char  \break
  • A good rule of thumb is that if an attempt to use \newcommand results in an "already defined" error, another name should be selected.

Should I add the hyperref package to my article (or book) before I submit it?

  • The short answer is, "no".
     
  • Articles in journals are always re-TeXed for publication. The hyperref package is added automatically for on-line posting, and hyperlinks are applied for all citations and internal cross-references. hyperref is omitted from the print version for the reason stated below.
     
  • Monographs and articles in proceedings volumes are not at present posted on line. Therefore, hyperlinks will have no useful effect, but the linking mechanism will cause the linked elements to print as gray rather than as solid black type, making the text harder to read. In addition, books and articles submitted as DVI (or PDF) files are more likely to encounter problems in making plates for the press if hyperref code has been included.
     
  • The policy for books is subject to change. If it does, these guidelines will be revised as appropriate.

Back to topic list

Problems in text

I'm getting reports of overfull boxes. How can I get rid of them?

The strategy for getting rid of overfull boxes depends on what's causing the problem.

  • Overfull vboxes

    • If the problem is reported on every other page, for example
      Overfull \vbox (1.14998pt too high) has occurred while \output is active
      check your log to see what version of the AMS LaTeX document classes you are using.
       
    • If you are still using AMS-LaTeX version 1.2, upgrade to the current version.
       
    • In AMS-LaTeX v.1.2, the height allowed for the running heads was insufficient to accommodate accented letters and multi-level math, or the larger size type used with the [12pt] document class option. This has been fixed in AMS-LaTeX v.2.0.
       
  • Overfull hboxes -- This answer deals only with overfull hboxes in ordinary paragraphs. See a later question for problems with run-on theorem headings.

    • Apply hyphenation. (These suggestions are applicable to AMS-TeX and plain TeX as well as to LaTeX if you use \def\... instead of \newcommand{...}.)

      • If the word contains no accents, a hyphenation pattern command can be added in the preamble, for example,
        \hyphenation{Mass-a-chu-setts}
      • Use discretionary hyphens \- to indicate appropriate break points:
        Schr\"o\-dinger, G\"ot\-tin\-gen
        Discretionary hyphens can be used whether or not accents are present.
         
      • TeX won't hyphenate a word that follows a hyphen, e.g., $n$-dimensional. (That is considered bad style.) But sometimes it is the least bad of the available options. You can define a command \hyph to permit hyphenation of a following word: 
        \newcommand{\hyph}{-\penalty0 \hskip0pt\relax }
        Then use \hyph instead of an ordinary hyphen: $n$\hyph dimensional.

        Similarly, a command \slash can be defined to permit hyphenation of a word following a slash.
         
    • Allow LaTeX to relax line-breaking rules:
      \begin{sloppypar}
      Text of paragraph.
      \end{sloppypar}
    • Force line breaks -- issue an explicit  \linebreak command; this works in math as well as in text: 
      The values of this integral depend upon the
parameter $\beta = c^2 /2 \linebreak[2]\geq 0$.
      An optional value from -4 to 4 can be specified, with negative values indicating "do not break" and positive values indicating "break here". The greater the absolute value, the stronger the encouragement, with 4 being compulsory.

My title (section title) is too long to fit in the page headers. How can I get a shorter version?

  • LaTeX itself provides the ability to specify optional text for the running head:
    \title[alternate text]{full text}
    This option is available for many different elements: \title, \author, \section, et al. It is described more completely in the LaTeX manual.

A (sub)subsection or paragraph heading ends with punctuation other than a period. How do I get rid of the automatic period that LaTeX puts at the end?

  • If you are using an AMS LaTeX document class older than version 2.20, put this definition in the preamble:
    \providecommand{\nopunct}{\spacefactor 1007 }
  • Use this method to enter the heading:
    \subsection{heading here?\nopunct}
  • This applies to all AMS journals and books.

How can I attach a footnote to a section heading?

  • Use the following mechanism: 
    \section[heading without footnote]{heading with
  footnote\protect\footnotemark}
\footnotetext{text of footnote}
  • The footnote text will disappear if it is placed within the section heading.
     
  • The section heading may be used as a running head, so the footnote should be excluded by providing optional text for that purpose.
     
  • If the section heading will appear in the table of contents, you will need to suppress the original entry and provide a substitute. See the question on how to change a table of contents entry.

Question marks are appearing in my running heads where I expected a cross reference. How can I get the cross reference to appear?

  • AMS document classes uppercase all running heads, including the labels for cross references.
     
  • If your labels are all lowercase or mixed case, an uppercased version won't match the original label, and the result will be "??".
     
  • If a label will be cross-referenced in a chapter or section title that may become a running head, assign a label in all caps, for example \label{MAINTHEOREM}.

I have a theorem with an optional name that is longer than a line and it won't break. What can I do?

  • Check your log to see what version of the AMS LaTeX document classes you are using.

    • Version 1.2 of the AMS LaTeX document classes and the amsthm package treated theorem headings as an unbreakable unit.
    • Version 2.0 removed this restriction.
       
  • If you are still using AMS-LaTeX version 1.2, upgrade to the current version.
     
  • If your theorem starts with a list, TeX won't find a suitable place to break the heading. Give it one -- add "$  $" after the heading (and label, if any) to leave an invisible space after the typeset heading.

In my book, each chapter title appears on a page by itself, and the text starts on a new page. How can I make the text start on the same page as the title?

  • You probably put the chapter title in the driver file, followed by the \include command for the chapter content.
     
  • An \include always goes to a new page.
     
  • Move the \chapter into the included file.
     
  • You can leave the chapter information in the driver file as a comment (following a % sign). In fact, this is a good idea, since it will serve as a reminder of what the chapter contains without having to look into another file.

In my AMS-LaTeX article (book), I had to use \pagebreak to avoid a bad break, but that left extra space at the bottom of the page. How can I fix it?

  • If an explicit page break follows a theorem, proof, list, or similar environment, place the \pagebreak in the last line of the environment.
     
  • Vertical space defined to follow an environment will not be removed by \pagebreak. Thus the last line will not be flush to the bottom of the page as desired.

The spaces in my text are uneven. What might be the problem?

  • Do you have index entries in your input file? If you put each index entry on a line by itself, every extra end-of-line will insert an extra space.
     
  • Put the index entry before the term in the text, and either follow the index entry by its term with no intervening space, or place a % sign after the index entry if it's on a line by itself. For example:
    ... \index{entry for index}entry for index and
    \index{something else to be indexed}%
    something else to be indexed ...
  • Uneven spacing will be particularly obvious if multiple index entries occur at the same place in the file.

TeX occasionally inserts an upside-down question mark before a capital F. I think it's a transmission problem. Why does this happen, and how can I avoid it?

  • The appearance of an upside-down question mark before a capital F is usually a transmission problem that happens when a mailer encounters the text "From " at the beginning of a line in the body of the message. (Many mailers use "From" to recognize the start of a new message in a mail queue.)
     
  • The best way to avoid the problem is to avoid starting lines in your text with "From".
     
  • If you really can't avoid it -- your first paragraph starts with "From" -- you can type a single space at the beginning of the line. TeX will ignore the space, and so will the mailer.
     
  • Sometimes, text is rewrapped by an editor, which could move "From" from a position near the end of one line to the beginning of the next. Adding an empty group, "{}From", will shield it from a mailer's view with no adverse effect in TeX.

Back to topic list

Math notation

How can I get blackboard bold letters?

  • In AMS-LaTeX, put \usepackage{amsfonts} in the preamble and code the letter R (for example) as \mathbb{R}.
     
  • In AMS-TeX, put \loadmsbm or \UseAMSsymbols in the preamble, and use \Bbb R  to code the letter R.
     
  • Don't try to construct these letters by putting pieces together.

I want to use some cyrillic letters for math variables, but there isn't any LaTeX support for cyrillic in the AMSfonts packages. How do I do it?

  • The following four lines will load the upright cyrillic font and define \Sh to access the letter "Sha".
    \DeclareFontFamily{U}{wncy}{}
    \DeclareFontShape{U}{wncy}{m}{n}{<->wncyr10}{}
    \DeclareSymbolFont{mcy}{U}{wncy}{m}{n}
    \DeclareMathSymbol{\Sh}{\mathord}{mcy}{"58}
  • The location of a cyrillic letter in the wncyr font can be found by looking at the chart in the PDF Document AMSFonts User's Guide or at a font chart created by TeXing the file testfont.tex (included in every TeX system).

I'm using  \mathfrak to indicate the Lie algebras (spin, so, etc.), but only the first letter comes out fraktur. What will make the whole term fraktur?

  • In AMS-LaTeX, use  \mathfrak{spin}.
     
  • In AMS-TeX, use  \frak{spin}.
     
  • All fraktur letters must be inside the braces. (This is true for all math font-changing commands.)

I know that to generate "sin" and "cos" in math mode one uses \sin and \cos. What is the command for generating "sgn" (the sign function)?

  • Use
    \DeclareMathOperator{\sgn}{sgn}
    to define \sgn if it doesn't take limits. If \sgn takes limits, then use the starred form, \DeclareMathOperator*.
     
  • This technique can be used to define any math operator. It is documented in the PDF Document amsmath User's Guide on page 17.

I'm using a black triangle to indicate a special kind of multiplication, but the spacing is wrong. How can I tell TeX to space this like a times sign?

  • Make the symbol a binary operator using "\mathbin". This is best done by defining a new command in the preamble of your file.
    For LaTeX:
    \newcommand{\trianglemult}{\mathbin{\blacktriangle}}
    For AMS-TeX:
    \def\trianglemult{\mathbin{\blacktriangle}}
  • The same approach works when embellishing an operator or relation by adding a diacritic.
    For LaTeX:
    \newcommand{\hatotimes}{\mathbin{\hat\otimes}}
    For AMS-TeX:
    \def\hatotimes{\mathbin{\hat\otimes}}
  • Always use the new command instead of the "long form". Then, if you decide to change your notation, you will only have to change it in one place.

How can I define a symbol so that I can use it in either text or math?

  • In LaTeX, the command  \ensuremath  will permit a defined symbol to be used without concern in either math or text. For example,
    \newcommand{\Gtwo}{\ensuremath{\Gamma^{(2)}}}

How can I get a single symbol that's much larger than the usual size?

  • In LaTeX, put the symbol in a box and specify the relative size you want, for example, a large blackboard bold C:
    \newcommand{\BigC}{\mbox{\Large$\mathbb{C}$}}
    The size change must go outside the math expression. The box is needed to keep the size change from affecting whatever follows the oversized symbol.
     
  • Always use a relative size. This will work regardless of the size of the text around it, for example in footnotes. The relative font sizes defined for most AMS document classes (those with 10-point text) are:

    \Tiny = 5pt; \tiny = 6pt; \SMALL = 7pt; \Small = 8pt; \small = 9pt; \normalsize = 10pt; \large = 11pt; \Large = 12pt; \LARGE = 14pt; \huge = 17pt; \Huge = 20pt.

    For AMS book series set in other sizes, the same progression of sizes is defined, with appropriate relative values.

How can I get the mirror image of a symbol that isn't symmetrical?

  • In LaTeX, use the \reflectbox command from the graphicx package to mirror an image left-to-right. For example, to mirror a capital S, 
    \usepackage{graphicx}
\newcommand{\mirroredS}{\reflectbox{S}}

How can I get boldface versions of scalable brackets and other delimiters?

  • Fixed sizes of delimiters can be modified in either AMS-LaTeX or AMS-TeX by the "poor man's bold" command:
    \pmb{\lbrack} ... \pmb{\rbrack}
    The larger delimiters in the Computer Modern fonts are located in the cmex font, which does not have a bold counterpart. Therefore, \boldsymbol will have no effect.
     
  • \pmb does not work with \left and \right modifiers, but the desired size can be chosen explicitly with \bigg or one of its variants:
    \pmb{\bigg\lbrack} ... \pmb{\bigg\rbrack}
  • In order to ensure the proper spacing relative to adjacent elements of the formula, it's necessary to explicitly specify the symbol class: 
    \mathopen{\pmb{\bigg\lbrack}}
...
\mathclose{\pmb{\bigg\rbrack}}

How can I make an entire equation bold? (I'm using AMS-LaTeX.)

  • Place the command {\mathversion{bold} before the intended equation and a closing brace } after it.

    This command turns on bold for the rest of the document, so unless you limit its scope there won't be any more "normal" math after you invoke it. That is the purpose of the enclosing braces.

In the phrase "1-, 2-, or 3-dimensional" the line broke between a hyphen and a comma. How can I prevent that?

  • In LaTeX, using an AMS author package, you can prevent a line break after a hyphen by using the command \nobreakdash :
    1\nobreakdash-, 2\nobreakdash-, or 3-dimensional

My paper contains an expression "M-N-cycle", which I have coded $M-N$-cycle. The first hyphen comes out as a minus sign. How can I fix it?

  • You have to come out of math mode:  $M$-$N$-cycle.
     
  • If there is a chance that a linebreak might occur after the first hyphen, enclose the part up to the second hyphen in an  \mbox (LaTeX) or  \text (AMSTeX):
    \mbox{$M$-$N$}-cycle
  • In a display, \text{$M$-$N$} is the correct coding for a hyphenated expression.

I want to have some particular arrows pointing down, but the only ones available point to the right. How can I turn them?

  • In LaTeX, use the \rotatebox facility of the graphicx package. Here is a macro that will rotate a symbol 90 degrees clockwise (so that arrows will point down), along with several arrows as examples. 
    \usepackage{graphicx}
\newcommand{\turndown}[1]{%
  \rotatebox[origin=c]{270}{\ensuremath#1}}
\newcommand{\twoheaddownarrow}{\turndown{\twoheadrightarrow}}
\newcommand{\downarrowtail}{\turndown{\rightarrowtail}}
\newcommand{\hookdownarrow}{\turndown{\hookrightarrow}}
  • Similarly, you can define  \turnup by changing the angle of rotation from 270 to 90.
     
  • These arrows will not stretch; they are fixed in length. If you need longer arrows for commutative diagrams, you should look at the Xypic package.

The binomial coefficients in my paper are very large and spacy, especially in text. How can I make them a more appropriate size?

  • In either AMS-LaTeX or AMS-TeX, use the command  \binom{...}{...}.  (Don't use the LaTeX array environment.)

How can I get diagonal dots, like  \ddots, but rising instead of falling?

  • For LaTeX, include this definition in your preamble: 
    \newcommand{\rdots}{\mathinner{%
  \mkern1mu\raise1pt\hbox{.}%
  \mkern2mu\raise4pt\hbox{.}%
  \mkern2mu\raise7pt\vbox{\kern7pt\hbox{.}}\mkern1mu}}
  • For AMS-TeX or plain TeX, use this definition: 
    \def\rdots{\mathinner{%
  \mkern1mu\raise1pt\hbox{.}%
  \mkern2mu\raise4pt\hbox{.}%
  \mkern2mu\raise7pt\vbox{\kern7pt\hbox{.}}\mkern1mu}}

Back to topic list

Math displays

Where can I find examples showing how to use the amsmath multi-line display structures?

I tried to create shorthand commands \bequ ... \eequ for the equation environment, but it didn't work. Why not?

  • For papers submitted to journals that will be posted on-line, shorthand commands shouldn't be used for any environments as it interferes with hyperlinking of cross references.
     
  • Upgrade to the current version of AMS-LaTeX. In version 2.0, the behavior of the equation environment is the same as it is with "plain" LaTeX; this was not true for amsmath versions 1.2 or earlier.
     
  • Shorthand commands for the other amsmath display environments are not possible. The reasons are given in the file PDF Document technote.pdf in the section entitled "Why can't I use abbreviations for \begin{align} ... \end{align}?"

Is it a bug or a feature that equations with $$...$$ are not flushed left using the fleqn option to the article class?

  • Use \begin{equation*} ... \end{equation*} instead.
     
  • Recommended coding for math displays, and types of usage to avoid, are discussed in the PDF Document Short Math Guide for LaTeX.
     
  • Note:  $$...$$ is not described anywhere in the LaTeX book as valid markup for equations. Although it works in LaTeX, that is probably only because LaTeX is built on top of TeX and disabling TeX's special interpretation of $$ would have been difficult.

When I align multiple formulas, the spacing after = signs at the beginning of the lines isn't always the same. How can I fix it?

  • Always place the & before an operator or sign of relation:
    a_1 &= b_1 + c_1 \\
    a_2 &= b_2 + c_2 - d_2
  • The spacing is determined by the class of the token following the &. When the & is placed after a plus, minus, = , or similar sign, it is too late to check its class.
     
  • If a unary minus should appear at the beginning of a display line or just after an alignment point, the correct spacing can be assured by placing braces around the sign, e.g., {+}, so that it is interpreted as an "ordinary" symbol, not as an operator.

Why is there too much vertical space around my displays?

There are several possibilities:

  • You have left blank lines before or after the display environment. (Hint -- if you had to insert \noindent before the text that follows a display, there's a blank line that shouldn't be there.)
  • A multi-line display environment ends with \\ on the last line. This isn't needed -- remove it.
  • You have coded multiple consecutive display lines as separate displays. Use a multi-line display environment instead.
  • amsmath version 1.2 put in more space than needed around multi-line displays when they were preceded by a very short line, or when the longest line of the display was nearly as wide as the page. Upgrade to AMS-LaTeX version 2.0
  • If the display ends a theorem-class element or proof, an \index entry between the display and the \end{<element>} will disrupt the spacing calculation and add extra space for both the display and the theorem-class ending. Put \index terms before the display where they won't cause a "mode shift".

How can I get more vertical space between lines of a display?

  • Use \\[dimen]. Don't leave a space after the \\.
     
  • Define a new environment that will spread the lines evenly: 
    \newenvironment{spreadlines}[1]{%
  \setlength{\jot}{#1}%
  \ignorespaces
}{%
  \ignorespacesafterend
}
    Use it like this: 
    \begin{spreadlines}{25pt}
\begin{align}
 a&=b+c-d\\
 a'&=e\sqrt{\frac{n-1}{n}}
\end{align}
\end{spreadlines}
    This should work for any amsmath multi-line environment.

Some of my displays are too wide. How can I make them fit?

The strategy for making a display fit within the page width depends on the nature of the display. Possible approaches in AMS-LaTeX:

  • If using an array environment or an environment based on array (e.g., matrix) you can narrow the separation between columns: 
    \begin{equation}
\setlength{\arraycolsep}{.5\arraycolsep}
\begin{array}
  ...
\end{array}
\end{equation}
    Try different values for the factor to multiply \arraycolsep, and choose the one that gives the best results. Do the reset within the scope of the display, so that the default value will be restored at the end of the display.

    The eqnarray environment also uses \arraycolsep.
     
  • Break long equations to multiple lines, using one of the environments provided by amsmath (split, align, etc.).
     
  • Use a smaller font: 
    {\small
 \begin{...}
  ...
 \end{...}
}%
    The % at the end is necessary to avoid a spurious space at the beginning of the next line.
     
  • See also the questions about:

Why isn't there an equation number on any of the equations in a multline environment?

  • The multline environment is intended for a single equation that is split; therefore it provides only one number. Consider using gather or another multi-line environment instead.
     
  • Don't use \notag to suppress numbers in the multline environment. In this environment, \notag will suppress the only number, so no number will appear at all.

The equation numbers (labels) are overlapping some of my display equations. How can this be avoided?

  • Don't use eqnarray; this environment doesn't check whether there's enough room for an equation number without overprinting. Use one of the amsmath multi-line display environments instead.
     
  • For one-line displays in LaTeX, use the equation environment, not eqnarray.

How can I get equation numbers on the right?

  • Use [reqno] as an option to an AMS-LaTeX document class.
     
  • However, note that equation numbers on the left is required for AMS journals, and preferred for other AMS publications.
     
  • For AMS-TeX, use \TagsOnRight.

Why aren't the labels on equations shown by the showlabels package?

  • Try using the showkeys package instead.
     
  • showlabels can't generate label markers if the [leqno] option is present. All AMS document classes use [leqno] by default.

Why does \text{...} in displays become italic in theorem environments?

  • In theorem environments, all text, including that specified with \text{...} in math expressions (whether in text or display), follows the current text style. This is accepted practice in mathematical publications. If some expression should remain upright regardless of context, then it probably isn't ordinary text.
     
  • When using (AMS-)LaTeX:
    • For single letters, use \mathrm{...}.
    • Define named operators (like sin or lim) with \DeclareMathOperator{...}, which provides the proper spacing. A starred form will set sub- and superscripts as limits.
    • For single instances of an operator name, use  \operatorname{...} (or the *-ed version).
    • For longer text inclusions, if they really must be upright, an alternative to \text can be defined:
      \newcommand{\mytext}[1]{\text{\upshape#1}}

How can I get diagonal arrows in commutative diagrams? The amscd package doesn't provide them.

  • We recommend the Xypic package for more complicated diagrams, especially if diagonal connections are needed. Xypic is considered a core component of the AMS production environment, so there is no need to include it among the files you must submit with an article or book.
     
  • See also the question regarding thicker lines with xypic.

Back to topic list

Numbering in AMS-LaTeX

See also questions about:

Why are my references to figures (tables) one less than the actual numbers on the figures (tables), or why do they refer to sections rather than to the figures (tables)?

  • The \label must immediately follow the caption:
    \begin{figure}
    ...
    \caption{...}\label{myfigure}
    \end{figure}
  • The caption is what causes the counter to be incremented. A label will become associated with the most recent referenceable element.

In my book, \numberwithin{figure}{chapter} works fine to number ordinary figures within chapters. But references to subfigures omit the chapter number, so subfigure c of the fourth figure in chapter 2 is referred to as "4(c)" instead of "2.4(c)". How can this be fixed?

  • Use the subfigure package.
     
  • Use these commands in the preamble: 
    \numberwithin{figure}{chapter}
\makeatletter
\renewcommand{\p@subfigure}{\thefigure}
\makeatother
  • The normal \ref{...} will now include the chapter number.
     
  • Caution:   Subfigure is not the same as subfig, although both packages are by the same author. Subfig is newer, but it contains many changes, depends on an additional (non-AMS) package, and we have not yet verified its compatibility with AMS document classes.

Footnotes in my book start with number 1 in every chapter. I refer to footnotes in the text, and this is confusing. How can I remove the ambiguity?

  • Method 1:   override the default numbering so that footnote numbers will be consecutive through the entire book.
    • Add these lines to your preamble: 
      \usepackage{remreset}
\makeatletter
\@removefromreset{footnote}{chapter}
\makeatother
    • The remreset package is included in every LaTeX distribution.
    • A command for doing this may be added to the amsbook document class in a future release.
       
  • Method 2:   use two-part footnote numbers, 1.1, 1.2, etc.
    • Put this command into your preamble: 
      \renewcommand{\thefootnote}{%
  \arabic{chapter}.\arabic{footnote}}
  • The LaTeX book class by default resets the footnote number to 1 at the beginning of each chapter. The same convention is used in amsbook.

I am using the xcb environment for exercises, and the numbers extend beyond the left margin. How do I move them to the right?

  • Begin this section as follows: 
    \begin{xcb}{Exercises}
\settowidth{\leftmargini}{NN.\hskip\labelsep}
\begin{enumerate}
    For NN substitute a string representing the largest exercise number of this group. For example,

    • specify 99 for 10 or more exercises if the chapter number is not included;
    • specify 12.15 if this is chapter 12 and it contains 15 numbered exercises.
  • Note:  The xcb environment presets the margin for exercise numbers to the width of one digit. If there are more than 9 exercises, or the exercise numbers include the chapter number, this margin must be reset.
     
  • This must be done separately for every xcb environment.

Back to topic list

Theorems in AMS-LaTeX

See also the question about:

How can I "number" my theorems with letters, A, B, C, etc.?

  • In your preamble, omit the \newtheorem square-bracket option that you would ordinarily use to indicate the numbering. For example, you might normally use
    \theoremstyle{plain}
    \newtheorem{theorem}{Theorem}[section]
    Instead, use just
    \theoremstyle{plain}
    \newtheorem{theorem}{Theorem}
    After all your \newtheorem's have been defined, insert this command:
    \renewcommand{\thetheorem}{\Alph{theorem}}
    This will start numbering with "A" and continue through the alphabet.
     
  • Numbering will not restart at a chapter or section break; to make that happen, see the next question.

I want my theorems to be numbered starting at 1 in each chapter, but I don't want the theorem labels to include the chapter number, so \newtheorem{theorem}{Theorem}[chapter] won't work. How can I get the result I want?

  • In your preamble, create a command that will reset all the counters for the theorems you have specified with \newtheorem: 
    \newcommand{\resettheoremcounters}{%
  \setcounter{theorem}{0}%
  ...
}
  • Place this new command \resettheoremcounters before any chapter or section break where you want the theorem counters reset. For an article prepared as a single file, do this in the body of the file; for a monograph it is better done in the driver file, just before each \include statement for a chapter file.
     
  • Theorem counters aren't reset automatically because the names of all the theorem counters aren't known until the author defines them with \newtheorem.

When theorems are numbered by section, but a chapter starts without a section heading, the first theorem in the chapter has a number like 4.0.26, where the last part is one greater than the number of the last theorem in the previous chapter. How can this be fixed?

  • If theorems are specified to be numbered by section, the numbers will be reset only at section breaks, not at a chapter break in the absence of a section.
     
  • The theorem counter can be reset manually (see the previous question) or a separate series of theorems can be set up to be numbered by chapter (see the next question).

In my book, some chapters have sections, and some don't. I want theorems to be numbered within sections when appropriate, but in chapters without sections, I want theorems to have numbers like 4.1, not 4.0.1. How can this be done?

  • You can create two series of theorems, one for each situation. For example, in the preamble: 
    \theoremstyle{plain}
\newtheorem{theoremC}{Theorem}[chapter]
\newtheorem{lemmaC}[theoremC]{Lemma}
\newtheorem{theoremS}{Theorem}[section]
\newtheorem{lemmaS}[theoremS]{Lemma}
    Then use \begin{theoremS} or \begin{theoremC} depending on whether you're in a chapter with sections or without.
     
  • For a chapter that contains theorems before the first section heading, the "C" series of theorem environments can be used to avoid the zero.

How can I override the automatic theorem counters for just a few theorems to use my own numbering?

  • Create a theorem environment in which the entire theorem heading is input as optional text: 
    \newtheorem*{varthm}{}% all text is supplied in the option
 
\begin{varthm}[Theorem with special heading]
 ...
\end{varthm}

Please explain the fine points of theorem and equation numbering.

  • Usually, theorems and equations are numbered relative to a chapter or section. They may also be numbered according to other schemes.
     
  • The same counter may be used for several types of enunciations (theorem-type objects), as follows: 
    \newtheorem{thm}{Theorem}[section]
\newtheorem{lem}[thm]{Lemma}
\newtheorem{prop}[thm]{Proposition}
  • If sections are to be numbered within each chapter of a book, then the following command is also needed. Although it increases the complexity of the reference number, inclusion of the chapter yields a numbering scheme that can be cross-referenced between chapters.
    \numberwithin{section}{chapter}
  • Displays can also be numbered within theorems. It is usually a good idea also to specify numbering within sections, in case the first equation comes before the first theorem in the section. 
    \numberwithin{equation}{section}
\numberwithin{equation}{theorem}
  • Occasionally, an author will want to use the same counter for theorems and equations. In this situation, the equation counter should be used for both:
    \newtheorem{thm}[equation]{Theorem}
    The mechanism for establishing theorem counters is different from that for equation number and sectioning counters; thus the \numberwithin facility has no meaning with respect to theorems.
     
  • If several equations are related, it may be desirable to use a prime or letters for sub-numbering. This facility is described in the sample paper subeqn. Compare the (PDF) output PDF Document with the TeX source for best understanding.

When a theorem begins with a list how do I keep the first item from running together with the theorem head?

  • \begin{thm}\indent\par
    \begin{enumerate} \item ...
  • If the theorem heading fills an entire line, this may not work quite right. See the question about run-on theorem headings

In my book, several theorems consist entirely of an enumerate environment. These all have too much space between the name of the theorem and the first item. Is there a fix for this?

  • If a theorem has a long name, you can force the enumerate to the next line: 
    \begin{theorem}[Smith's Theorem]\hfill\par
\begin{enumerate}
\item ...
  • If you prefer to have the first item continue directly after the theorem name, you can treat the first item as ordinary text and start numbering the enumerate with "2": 
    \begin{theorem}
\hangindent\leftmargini
\textup{(1)}\hskip\labelsep First item.
\begin{enumerate}
\setcounter{enumi}{1}
\item ...
  • Explanation:
    • The space provided for the item label is defined deep in the guts of LaTeX, and is not easily accessed or changed.
    • The (rather complicated) code above will match the style, spacing, and indentation of the first item label and text with that of the other items.
    • If the first item is only one line long, you can omit the \hangindent.

I'm trying to cite a particular source in the optional theorem argument, but I get an obscure error about \@citex. How can I get the result I want?

  • Enclose the citation in braces within the optional argument:
    \begin{theorem}[{\cite[Theorem 1]{xxx}}]
  • Explanation:
    • This is a TeX restriction, not an (AMS-)LaTeX bug.
    • TeX matches the grouping characters { and }, but it doesn't "know how" to match LaTeX's optional argument delimiters [ and ].
    • When a command with an optional argument is nested directly inside another optional argument, the scan terminates at the first ] with an incomplete, and invalid, interpretation of the argument.

I want the theorem note text (the optional argument) to show up as bold. I used \newtheoremstyle to set up a theorem style to make this happen, but the note text does not show up as bold. How can I do this?

  • Suppose you defined your theorem style with 
    \newtheoremstyle{bthm}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
    (How to use \newtheoremstyle is documented in the manual PDF Document "Using the amsthm package".)
     
  • After the definition, add this code: 
    \makeatletter
\g@addto@macro\th@bthm{\thm@notefont{\bfseries\upshape}}
\makeatother
  • \th@bthm is the concatenation of \th@ and the theorem style name. In this example, the theorem style name is bthm.

How can I get the box that marks the end of a proof to be on the last line of the proof when it ends with a display or a list?

  • Ordinarily, the QED box is set when  \end{proof}  is encountered. When a proof ends with a display or a list,  \end{proof}  is outside that scope, and the QED box is set on a new line by itself.
     
  • Insert the command  \qedhere  just before the ending command of the display or list, and the box will be placed on the final line unless there really isn't any room for it.
     
  • If another QED box appears at the  \end{proof} or the box isn't flush right at the end of a display, you are using an older version of AMS-LaTeX; these problems were fixed with version 2, and you should upgrade.

How can I get the qed symbol in the right place when a proof ends with an equation that uses {multline*} ?

  • There is a workaround using \tag* and \qedhere, as follows: 
    \begin{proof}
  With some preliminary text so that we can tell where the
  right margin falls, which would otherwise be difficult.
\begin{multline*}
  a+b+c+d+e+f+g+h+i+j+k+l+m+n+o+p\\
  +q+r+s+t+u+v+w+x+y=z
  \tag*{\hspace{-1em}\qedhere}
\end{multline*}
\end{proof}

Back to topic list

Floating objects: figures and tables in (AMS-)LaTeX

See also questions about:

I tried to put some figures side by side using minipage but they are positioned badly. How can I fix this?

  • You need to reset \captionindent to 0. (This is a parameter used only by AMS document classes.) For example: 
    \begin{figure}
  \setlength{\captionindent}{0pt}
  \begin{minipage}[t]{0.5\textwidth}
  \centering\includegraphics{left.eps}
  \caption{This is a caption}
  \end{minipage}%
  \begin{minipage}[t]{0.5\textwidth}
  \centering\includegraphics{right.eps}
  \caption{This is the other caption}
  \end{minipage}
\end{figure}

Some tables (figures) are very wide, and need to be placed sideways on a page. There is a big gap between the top of the page and the table. How can I close it up?

  • We recommend using the graphicx package to insert figures or to position tables in any way other than the default orientation. The most common variation, sideways, is referred to as "landscape" orientation. In AMS publications, the top of a landscape object faces to the left and the bottom, to the right.
     
  • When constructing the object to be rotated, start by placing it, along with its caption, into a minipage with a width of  \textheight, then rotate the minipage by 90 degrees: 
    \begin{table}
\rotatebox{90}{%
 \begin{minipage}{\textheight}
  \caption{...}\label{...}
  ...
 \end{minipage}
}% end of \rotatebox
\end{table}
  • Measure the width of the table and replace  \textheight by that width, e.g.:
    \begin{minipage}{6.5in}
    This will eliminate any extra space between the right side of the table and the running head.

I have some tables that are just a bit wider than the page, not wide enough to be set sideways. How can I make then narrower?

  • Reduce the width using  \tabcolsep if you are using the tabular environment: 
    \begin{table}
 \setlength{\tabcolsep}{.5\tabcolsep}
   ...
 \begin{tabular}
 \end{tabular}
   ...
\end{table}
  • Note:  If the tabular is not within a table environment, be sure to put it within a group, so that the default value of  \tabcolsep will be restored when the group is closed.

I'm using the LaTeX longtable package, and I've been asked to change the style of the caption to match the AMS caption style. The caption is also too small. How can I fix it?

  • If you are using an AMS-LaTeX document class, redefine the caption command from longtable: 
    \makeatletter
\renewcommand{\LT@makecaption}[3]{%
  \LT@mcol\LT@cols c{\hbox to\z@{\hss\parbox[t]\LTcapwidth{%
    \sbox\@tempboxa{%
      {\@captionheadfont#1{#2}}.%
      \@captionfont\upshape\enspace#3}%
    \ifdim\wd\@tempboxa>\hsize
      {\@captionheadfont#1{#2}}.%
      \@captionfont\upshape\enspace#3%
    \else
      \hbox to\hsize{\hfil\box\@tempboxa\hfil}%
    \fi
    \endgraf\vskip\baselineskip}%
  \hss}}}
\makeatother
    You can omit the \makeatletter and \makeatother if you put this definition into your own macro package called by \usepackage. (For AMS journals, all macro definitions must be present in the file with the article text. Separate author-specific macro packages are not supported.)
     
  • If you have made the table smaller using \smaller[n] the caption may still be too small. In that case, enter the caption as
    \caption{\larger[n] caption text}\\
    using the same value for n in both places.

I have a table that's both too long and too wide, so it needs to be broken automatically as well as set sideways. What should I do?

  • You will need three packages; all are from the LaTeX tools and graphics bundles:
    \usepackage{afterpage,longtable,lscape}
  • In the preamble, include the modification to the longtable caption given in the previous question.
     
  • Put the table source into a separate file. At the point where it is referred to in your document, call it in so that it will begin on a new page, after the current page is complete:
    \afterpage{\clearpage\input table-filename}
  • In the separate table file, wrap these commands around the table source: 
    \begin{landscape}
\begin{longtable}{column format}
  ...
\end{longtable}
\end{landscape}
\endinput
    For details of how to set captions for the first and continuation pages, see the longtable documentation.

Back to topic list

Graphics

See also questions about:

Follow AMS guidelines for creating graphics.

  • Refer to the document PDF Document Creating graphics for use in AMS books and journals. This covers most aspects of graphics preparation, and gives instructions specific to the AMS production environment, to ensure the best possible results with the fewest problems.

What kinds of (electronic) graphics files can AMS accept?

  • Graphics prepared by separate graphics tools must be submitted as Encapsulated PostScript (eps) files.

    Many graphics tools have an option to write out eps files; consult the package documentation for instructions. Files should be saved to include the fonts (as outlines whenever possible).

    AMS staff is not able to support graphics software tools. However, we include here some information that has been effective in solving various problems encountered by authors publishing with the AMS. See the section on platform- and application-specific topics.
     
  • Graphics created within TeX:
  • Make sure that line weights meet AMS standards. PDF Document

I've been told to convert my graphics files (.pdf, .bmp, .png, .tiff, .jpeg, etc.) to .eps. How can I do that?

  • If all your files are .pdf files, use the utility pdftops from the xpdf distribution in TeX Live:
    • Use of this command is simple:
      $ pdftops -eps input.pdf output.eps
    • To convert multiple .pdf files to .eps, use a foreach loop: 
      $ foreach f (*.pdf)
 foreach> pdftops -eps $f $f:r.eps
 foreach> end
  • If your files are in some format other than .pdf, use ImageMagick.
    • ImageMagick is a free software tool intended for precisely this purpose. It runs on all major operating systems, and supports about 100 image formats.
    • ImageMagick can be obtained from this web site:
      http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php
       

AMS requires fonts to be embedded in .eps files. How can I accomplish this with Mathematica?

  • For Mathematica 5:
    • Use the following option:
      "IncludeSpecialFonts"   True
    • This information, and more, is found on this Wolfram web page.
       
  • For Mathematica 4:
  • By following these instructions, Mathematica fonts are embedded in the .eps file, making the file self-contained.

How can I insert figures (graphics) into an AMS-LaTeX document?

  • The AMS recommends the LaTeX graphicx package.
     
  • Insert this command in the preamble:
    \usepackage{graphicx}
    and insert a figure like this:
    \begin{figure}
    \includegraphics[options]{filename}
    \caption{...}\label{...}
    \end{figure}
  • Do not include any path in the \includegraphics call.
    • This means that when you TeX the file that will be sent to AMS, the TeX source files and the .eps files must be in the same directory.
    • Inclusion of a path may result in a request for you to revise and re-TeX your submission.
    • If you are using Scientific Workplace, see the next question.
       
  • Compile your document to dvi, not PDF. The AMS prefers dvi and eps files.
    See the question regarding TeXShop if you are using that system.
     
  • More details and options are available in these two manuals (available on-line):

I'm using Scientific Workplace. I received a message saying that my graphics calls include a specific path, and the dvi file cannot be processed. How can I fix this?

  • Scientific Workplace, in trying to be "user friendly", hides many details from an author, including the commands for including graphics
     
  • Using a separate file editor, open up your TeX file and look for the command \includegraphics. Following this command, usually after some material in square brackets [...], the name (and location) of the graphics file will be given in curly braces, for example
    {C:/XYZ/Paper/graphics/figure1-1.eps}%
  • Remove the path, leaving only the file name itself:
    {figure1-1.eps}%
  • Make sure the .eps files and the TeX source file(s) are in the same directory, and re-typeset. (You may want to create a temporary directory for this step.)

How can I include graphics in a plain TeX or an AMS-TeX document?

  • Use the LaTeX graphics package. This has been adapted so that it will work with plain TeX; thus it also works with AMS-TeX. The package can be obtained from a CTAN site:
    http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/plain/graphics/
    The package contains documentation including examples of use.

I want to use a graphic as a display, with a centered equation number, but the number is placed at the bottom left. How can it be centered?

  • Embed the graphic in a substructure that uses a centered tag: 
    \begin{equation}
  \begin{gathered}
    \includegraphics{filename}
  \end{gathered}
  \label{tag-value}
\end{equation}

I have a figure insertion in the middle of a paragraph, following a display. The next line begins with a small space. How can I get rid of the space?

  • Place a % (percent) sign immediately after \end{figure}.
     
  • TeX interprets an end-of-line as a space. When insertions are made between paragraphs, these extra spaces are ignored. (That is why, ideally, a figure should be invoked only between paragraphs, but this isn't always possible if there are no convenient paragraph breaks.) A % sign at the end of an inserted element (such as a figure) will inactivate the space.

I have a color figure that is to be tipped in. I've been told to prepare this without page numbers. How can I do this?

  • Figures that are to be tipped in must always be prepared in a separate file from the text of a paper or monograph.
     
  • To omit the page numbers from such pages, place these commands just before the figure call: 
    \pagestyle{empty}
\thispagestyle{empty}
  • Do not use \label or \ref to refer to such figures. They are in different files, and there is no automatic cross-reference mechanism for this situation.
     
  • The exact location of tipped-in figures will be determined by the AMS production staff after the entire journal issue or book has been compiled.

Using xypic, how can I thicken the lines in some diagrams? (I was told they were too thin.)

  • Use this command:
    **@*{\mbox{\LARGE.}}
    This is a variation on the usual command for printing lines. There are two variants, which mean, respectively:
    **@{.}       Print a line using standard XY (tiny) dots
    **@*{.}     Print a line using an ordinary period and repeat as necessary to build the line
    Any arbitrary material can be substituted for the period.

Back to topic list

Top matter

How do I construct a book title page?

  • Title pages for books are prepared by AMS staff. This ensures that title pages will have a consistent style throughout a series. The title page that an author submits with the rest of the book is a place marker. It is used to identify the book while it is being edited and prepared for printing.
     
  • Information from the author's title page and associated front matter (subject classifications, abstract, etc.) is used in the creation of the final title and copyright pages, so the author should check this as carefully as the rest of the book to make sure that it is complete and accurate.

I need a ~ (tilde) in my URL, but it disappears when I use \URLaddr. How can I get it to print?

  • This has been fixed in AMS-LaTeX version 2.20. Upgrade.
  • With versions of AMS-LaTeX older than 2.20, use \textasciitilde.
  • If your version of LaTeX is too old to have \textasciitilde (pre-2.0), use \symbol{176} instead.

The subject classification is printing out as "1991 Mathematics Subject Classification", but I've been asked to change it to 2000. How do I do that?

  • AMS-LaTeX:
     
    For AMS-LaTeX version 2.0, the MSC version is specified as an option to \subjclass: 
    \subjclass[2000]{Primary primary classifications
  Secondary secondary classifications}
    For older versions of AMS-LaTeX, add this definition to the preamble of your document 
    \renewcommand{\subjclassname}{%
  \textup{2000} Mathematics Subject Classification}
    and enter the data with the tag \subjclass{...} as usual.
     
  • AMS-TeX:
     
    For amsppt.sty version 2.2, specify the year as follows:
    \subjclassyear{2000}
    For older versions of amsppt.sty, enter the subject classification in the usual place, as follows: 
    \subjclass\nofrills{{\rm 2000}
  {\it Mathematics Subject Classification}.\usualspace}
   Primary ...\endsubjclass
    Do not place a period at the end of the data; it will be added automatically.
     
  • Only valid versions of the Classification will be recognized. In the absence of an optional value, the 1991 version will be assumed.
     
  • If you are using an old version of AMS-(La)TeX, it is strongly recommended to upgrade: AMS-LaTeX or AMS-TeX.
     

Search the 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification to find a subject classification for your paper or book.

Why can't 2000 be made the default version of the Subject Classification?

  • The AMS makes every effort to make our TeX products backwards compatible, in order to avoid unintentional changes when files are reTeXed at a later date. Some old papers may have to be reprocessed, e.g. for volumes of collected works; furthermore, many papers based on the AMS document classes have been posted to the preprint arXiv, and other publishers using AMS document classes have requested backwards compatibility.

How do I specify copyright information?

  • Enter the year of publication and copyright holder as follows:
    \copyrightinfo{year}{copyright holder}
  • Versions of AMS-LaTeX older than 1996 do not permit alteration of the copyright holder (AMS is the default); to alter the year, enter this command in the preamble:
    \def\copyrightyear{year}
    If you are still using an old version of AMS-LaTeX, we strongly recommend that you upgrade.

I am an employee of the U.S. Government, so my article should not carry a copyright notice. How can I suppress it?

  • Enter an empty \copyrightinfo command:
    \copyrightinfo{}{}

Why was there no copyright line on the first page of my proceedings paper?

  • The AMS did not receive all the necessary Consent to Publish Agreements in a timely manner.

My article title is too long to fit in the page headers. How can I get a shorter version?

  • This problem affects not just article titles but other kinds of headings as well. See the answer here.

I've been asked to omit the page numbers from the contents list at the top of my proceedings paper. How can I do that?

  • Place the following definition into the preamble of your document. 
    \def\addcontentsline#1#2#3{%
  \addtocontents{#1}{\protect\contentsline{#2}{#3}{}}}
    This omits the page number from the data written to the .toc file.

    We discourage the use of internal TOCs altogether.

How can I change or omit a heading in the table of contents?

A heading can be changed by suppressing the one that is automatically generated and providing a substitute.

  • Place this definition in the preamble of your file:
    \DeclareRobustCommand{\SkipTocEntry}[4]{}
    Note:  This definition will not work properly if the hyperref package is being used. The hyperref package redefines TOC entries to have 5 arguments. See below.
     
  • Just before a command that will write a heading to the TOC file, insert the instruction to suppress it. A substitute can be inserted after the regular heading; for example: 
    \addtocontents{toc}{\SkipTocEntry}
\chapter{Heading that should be replaced}
\addtocontents{toc}{\protect\contentsline{chapter}%
  {\protect\tocchapter{Chapter}{\thechapter}%
    {Substitute toc text}}%
  {\thepage}}
    The substitute text is modeled on entries for the same level in the TOC file. Note that \contentsline and \tocchapter (or other similar level-specific command) need to be \protect'ed.
     
  • If you are using the hyperref package, change the definition to
    \DeclareRobustCommand{\SkipTocEntry}[5]{}
    and model your substitute entry on an appropriate entry in the TOC file.

NOTE:  The AMS document classes include some material in the TOC that isn't included by the "plain" LaTeX classes:

  • starred headings, e.g., \chapter*{Preface}
  • the full text of chapter and section headings; optional text of the form \chapter[Optional text]{Full text} is used only for running heads

How do I prepare a dedication?

  • There is no specific command for preparing a dedication for a book. Usually, the dedication appears on a page by itself.
     
  • If the dedication is just a line or two, it is centered horizontally, about a third of the way down the page; use the following (AMS-LaTeX) model: 
    \clearpage
\thispagestyle{empty}
\vspace*{13.5pc}
\begin{center}
  Dedication text (use \\[2pt] for line break if necessary)
\end{center}
\cleardoublepage
  • If this is a small-format book (5.5 x 8.5 inches), change the \vspace from 13.5pc to 10.5pc.
     
  • If the dedication is longer than a line or two, it should be presented as a paragraph. Use the above model, but omit the centering instructions.

How do I input the Acknowledgments, Preface, etc.?

  • For a proceedings volume or other book collection, use the AMS Editor's Package. This package is provided for AMS-LaTeX only.
     
  • For a monograph:

    • In AMS-LaTeX, use "starred" chapters:
      \chapter*{Text of Title}.
      [Unlike the basic LaTeX book class, the AMS document classes require the starred version even within \frontmatter.]
    • In AMS-TeX, omit the \chapter{...} element:
      \title Text of Title\endtitle.
    A model preface is included in all monograph author packages.

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