Math in LaTeX | Complete guide for beginners | STEM Skills with Dr. Sally

Maths in LaTeX can look horrifying, but it's way easier than you think! In this LaTeX/Overleaf tutorial we don't just cover how to do all the basic math you might need, but also, how to make it gorgeous! After this tutorial, you'll be able to face any lab report, assignment, journal article or thesis with confidence. I recommend using the timestamps below to skip to the parts that you need, as not all of this will be relevant to every degree stream.
MY WEBSITE
Don't panic if you can't keep up with the video, you can find the final code on my website at soswriting.co.uk/latex-for-sc...
I have also written a bunch of free guides aimed at student scientists. Feel free to check them out!
soswriting.co.uk/guides/
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction
0:09 Setup: create new file, call math packages
2:01 Method 1: the "Equation" environment & labelling
3:28 Hot tip #1: suppress equation numbering
4:55 Method 2: the "Inline" environment
6:25 Subscript, superscript
8:06 Definitions (creating your own commands)
9:55 Hot tip #2: Spacing
10:33 Fractions
11:58 Hot tip #3: non-derpy brackets
12:30 Matrices
13:30 Hot tip #4: Aligning matrices
14:22 Hot tip #4 (cont.): Aligning equations
14:51 Aligning equations worked example
16:35 Formatting text, upright Greek characters
17:24 Making it gorgeous! Full worked example
USEFUL LINKS
overleaf.com
The following link contains a lot more math than can be covered in one video - if there's something you want to know how to do, I recommend checking here first!
en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX...
This link will take you to the official CTAN list of all mathematical (and other) symbols! It helpfully comes in PDF form so you can download it and keep it with you for reference.
www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info...
CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) PACKAGES
ctan.org/pkg/mathtools
ctan.org/pkg/amsmath
ctan.org/pkg/upgreek
ctan.org/pkg/siunitx
CREDITS
* All still images and videos are used under license and were obtained from pexels:
www.pexels.com/
* Audio recording and cleanup was done in Audacity:
www.audacityteam.org/
* Screen capture was done using OBS Studio:
obsproject.com/
* Video production was done using Canva...:
www.canva.com/
* ...and kdenlive:
kdenlive.org/en/
#LaTeXTutorials #STEMskills #PhDMadeEasy

[@soswriting]

I'd love to know your thoughts! Did I miss anything out that you were hoping to see? Did I skip over any bits too quickly? Let me know what you think!

[@momohLBY]

Excellent guide, can't wait for more! Thank you for your time, it has helped immensely.

[@soswriting]

Thank you for saying that! It really does mean a lot to know that they're useful :) the next one is in the final stages of production and on its way soon™

[@mikhailbandurist8652]

Please don't stop! Your tutorials are really good and useful!

[@soswriting]

Thank you very much for saying so! As soon as it's quiet enough to record again, normal production will resume! :)

[@mikhailbandurist8652]

@@soswriting Thank you!)

[@haraldurkarlsson1147]

Regarding Schrodinger's equation, the physics usepackage has to useful macros including \pdv{ } which generates partial derivatives and \laplacian which generates the upside-down "triangle" squared. Moreover, often the math equations that you find in Wikipedia have been formatted in LaTeX can therefore simply be copied and drop into the text! It saves a lot of time and you can also modify them afterwards but most of the heavy lifting has been done.

[@soswriting]

That's a great tip, I wasn't aware of the physics package! Thanks for bringing it to my attention :D

[@emilemail4]

Really nice video. Short, but covers the right content, with a calm voice. The timestamps are an extra bonus.

[@soswriting]

Thank you so much for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope it gives you a solid base to work from :D timestamps are an absolute lifesaver, for sure.

[@ManuelJorgeMarques]

Nice one! Looking forward to the next video 😉 (hopefully involving tables!)

[@soswriting]

Thank you so much! Tables are a headache for sure, I don't think anyone would mind if I did them next :)

[@s.h.i2553]

Cool !!! This video is rich in information 👍👍 thank you waiting for other videos😃😃

[@soswriting]

No problem at all! I'm glad you liked it and I hope it helps :)

[@haraldurkarlsson1147]

I use a stand-alone package (TeXShop) to run LaTeX on my Mac since I am not a big fan of online apps (what do you do if the internet does not work or is slow?). All the code works for me but not hyperref. The links do not show up and moreover it somehow overrides the \tableofcontents command. There are no error messages so I am not sure what is going on. I am an advanced LaTeX user but still somewhat puzzled by this problem. I did solve the issue. As it turns out the amsart document class is not compatible with hyperref.

[@haraldurkarlsson1147]

Most LaTeX experts these days suggest using \( formula \) for inline math code and \[ formula \] for display style math mode (unless of course you use \begin{equation} etc or \begin{align} etc.). For some reason they recommend not using $ $ or $$ $$.

[@robwin0072]

Congrats on an interesting and engaging presentation style. Can you do a video showing statistical formulas? The basic ones are sufficient; e.g., formulas for sample standard deviation, the calculating sample size would give me the start I need. Stay Safe. Kind Regards.

[@soswriting]

In LaTeX? Definitely! If you feel it would be helpful I'd be very glad to :) which formulae do you need exactly? Thanks for taking the time to comment, your kind words are very much appreciated!

[@robwin0072]

@@soswriting One shows the calculation sample z-test (sigma known), t-test, sample standard deviation, sample variance, and calculating “r” from linear regression. I will take it from there. ☺️☺️☺️

[@soswriting]

@@robwin0072 Ah, you want me to explain the actual statistical formulas and how they work? I can do that :) I've got another LaTeX video in production at the moment, but I'm happy to make time to also cover other useful things. If you need it *very* quickly, one channel we always found helpful as undergrads is Khan Academy. They have a statistics playlist kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5nbpYiqlJJ6r68 but you might need to skip around the videos to find what you need. I'll add statistics to my to-do list in the meantime, since everyone hates it! I hope I can get it done in time to still be useful for you.

[@robwin0072]

@@soswriting No, I am trying to find the LaTeX command that places the bar over x for means, in math format type, not text style.

[@soswriting]

@@robwin0072 Ah I see - that's quite straightforward, luckily! If you make sure you call the mathtools package in your preamble (and I think amsmath also contains this functionality), you can type \bar{x} inside your equation to get the bar over the top for the mean.