Math 595, Section MW: Mathematical Writing
Fall 2007
Prof. A.J. Hildebrand

Course Information (pdf)

[9/6/07] Directory for course materials. I have a created a directory "/home/users/hildebr/pub/595/" for course materials such as tex source files for the papers discussed in class, sample tex files, and scripts. Just cd to this directory; the permissions are such that anyone with an account on our network can access the directory (with the Unix "cd" command), list the files (with "ls") and read any of the files or copy them to their home directory.
Currently, in a subdirectory "casestudies", there are the source files for the original and fixed-up versions of the two papers discussed on Wednesday. These files are worth studying since they show more subtle errors that may not be apparent in the compiled versions. In addition, they show good and bad writing styles (such as putting begin/end constructs on lines by themselves).
Books: Though officially there is not a required text and the bookstores don't have one, I do recommend that you purchase at least the first of the following two books:
- G. Gratzer, "Math into LaTeX": The best book for mathematical TeX, by far. You can order it from amazon.com for about $30.
- N.J. Higman, "Handbook for writing for the mathematical sciences". This one is a bit more expensive, around $50 at amazon.com.

More LaTeX Tips. The beginning of a new, expanded, and improved, collection of tips that will eventually replace the old collection (see below).
Introduction to TeX/LaTeX (pdf). A talk I have given a number of times at REU summer programs and Graduate Student Orientations. Not an introduction to the TeX language per se, but rather a "meta-introduction" to the world of TeX/LaTeX. Note that this is an example of a pdf file with "live" (clickable) links, generated with the hyperref package.
LaTeX Tips: My old collection of LaTeX tips. See the above link for the updated version.

TeX FAQ. A large collection of frequently asked questions (with answers).
CTAN. The "Comprehensive TeX Archive Network". If you need a package that is not part of the standard TeX distribution, you can download it from CTAN.
Scott Pakin's Comprehensive LaTeX Symbol List. A gigantic collection of LaTeX symbols and special characters, covering 3300 symbols in 225 tables over 111 pages.
Don Knuth's homepage.
ArXiv. The standard preprint server for mathematics, physics, and related fields. With over 400,000 preprints, almost all in TeX/LaTeX, with source code available, it provides plenty of examples of TeX typesetting, both good and bad.

Math into LaTeX, Chapter 1. A free online version of part of Gratzer's "Math into LaTeX", including Chapter 1, the index, and the appendices at the end of the book. Unlike the tutorials below, this one covers amslatex in full, and can be trusted in its advice on mathematical typesetting.
The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX2e. The classic free online text on LaTeX. An excellent and fairly complete general introduction. Be aware, though, that the coverage of mathematical typesetting is outdated as it does not include the facilities provided by amslated.
Online Tutorials by the Indian TeX Users Group. An absolutely first-rate, beautifully produced, set of tutorials. However, as with the "Not So Short" guide, don't rely on it for advice on mathematical typesetting; instead, use Gratzer's "Math into LaTeX".

Last modified Fri 12 Oct 2007 05:31:14 PM CDT A.J. Hildebrand