Common MATH mistakes

Mathematical typesetting is one of the most striking advantages of using LaTeX in the first place, and it is easy to create beautiful math elements in no time. Conversely, it is also easy to abuse these capabilities to produce unprofessional and/or odd-looking results. Here is a list of the most commonly observed mistakes related to math typesetting:

• If you use a mathematical symbol in the main text, always put it in math mode, i.e., don't refer to a variable x but use $x$ instead!

• Remember that all mathematical elements are part of the text, including all displayed equations! Thus every equation is part of a sentence and punctuation marks (commas, full stops) must be placed accordingly, i.e., inside the equation. Try to "read through" these parts of your text.

• Do not use * as the product (multiply) operator – use \cdot instead!

• Avoid long names for variables, constants and functions (as typically used in program code) – instead, use single-letter symbols if possible!

• If multi-letter names cannot be avoided, use \mathit{...}, \mathrm{...} or \operatorname{...} to group them. For example, write $\mathrm{foo}(x)$ and not just $foo(x)$.

• When naming things, try to adhere to common rules. For example, i,j,k,... are typically used for integer quantities (counting variables), while x,y,... are used for continuous (real) values.

• Never make forward references to equations that appear later in the text. If you still think you need one, the equation is probably in the wrong place.

• HagenbergThesis uses the amsmath package(s), which add many convenient constructs for typesetting mathematics. See the amsmath User's Guide for details.