# Thread: Negative Sign & Degree Symbol?

1. ## Negative Sign & Degree Symbol?

Two symbols I would like to use in LaTex:

1) I've been using the minus sign if I want to type in negative numbers:
$y = -16$
but I don't like how big it is. Is there a way to type in a negative sign that's not as long and thick?

2) How does one type the degree sign? I want to use the degree sign so that readers won't confuse the angle with radian measure, like this:
$\cos 60° = \frac{1}{2}$
When using the Character Map in Windows to copy and paste degree symbol, it doesn't appear. (I put a degree symbol in the above equation, so that you see what I mean.)

TIA.

01

EDIT: Question #2 withdrawn. I found out how to do it -- you can use ^\circ:
\cos 60^\circ = \frac{1}{2}
gives me this:
$\cos 60^\circ = \frac{1}{2}$

2. Originally Posted by yeongil
Two symbols I would like to use in LaTex:

1) I've been using the minus sign if I want to type in negative numbers:
$y = -16$
but I don't like how big it is. Is there a way to type in a negative sign that's not as long and thick?

2) How does one type the degree sign? I want to use the degree sign so that readers won't confuse the angle with radian measure, like this:
$\cos 60° = \frac{1}{2}$
When using the Character Map in Windows to copy and paste degree symbol, it doesn't appear. (I put a degree symbol in the above equation, so that you see what I mean.)

TIA.

01

EDIT: Question #2 withdrawn. I found out how to do it -- you can use ^\circ:
\cos 60^\circ = \frac{1}{2}
gives me this:
$\cos 60^\circ = \frac{1}{2}$
If I recall correctly, Soroban does this:

y=\text{-}12 generates $y=\text{-}12$

Does that help for now? There may be another way to do it...

3. Originally Posted by Chris L T521
y=\text{-}12 generates $y=\text{-}12$
But the question is why?
What is wrong with $-3$ over against $\text{-}3$?
Frankly, I prefer the former.

4. Long before I learned about $$30^{\circ}$$: . $30^{\circ}$

. . I was using $$30^o$$: . $30^o$ . . . much easier!

I prefer the shorter minus signs in a variety of situations,
. . but mostly in matrices.

Compare . $\left[\begin{array}{ccc|c}1 & -2 & 3 & -4 \\ -5 & 6 & -7 & 8\\ 9 &-10 & 11 & -12\end{array}\right]$ . and . $\left[\begin{array}{ccc|c} 1 & \text{-}2 & 3 & \text{-}4\\ \text{-}5 & 6 & \text{-}7 & 8 \\ 9& \text{-}10 & 11 & \text{-}12 \end{array}\right]$