# Thread: Need help making posts ...

1. ## Need help making posts ...

Hi! I put up an "intro post" a while back, can't find it anymore. I'm hoping somebody can help me with a simple (I assume) problem, not in math, but in using this forum.

How do I enter mathematical notation? I can see a button I can for a subscript or superscript, but I don't know how to put in a radical for a square root, or a top-and-bottom fraction, let alone an integral sign. How do I do that kind of stuff?

A thousand pardons if this isn't the right place to ask such a question, but I don't know where else to put it.

2. ## Re: Need help making posts ...

What you want is $\LaTeX$. To find out how to use it check out the Latex forum here, and do an online search for it. To generate the tags needed to surround your code, click the $\Sigma$ button, and enter your code within the tags.

Here are a few simple examples that your asked about. I will give the code, then the result.

code: \sqrt{x} result: $\sqrt{x}$

code: \sqrt[n]{x^m} result: $\sqrt[n]{x^m}$

code: \frac{x}{y} result: $\frac{x}{y}$

code: \int_a^b f(x)\,dx result: $\int_a^b f(x)\,dx$

3. ## Re: Need help making posts ...

Sounds like a hassle, but I guess I'll learn to do it. Anyway, thanks for your guidance.

Maybe this should be mentioned in the routine welcome message everybody gets? Do most people have to ask these questions, or do most of us know Latex already? In case you're wondering, yes, I've heard of it, but I've had little enthusiasm to learn it.

4. ## Re: Need help making posts ...

When I first joined another math forum several years ago, I saw how everyone seemed to be making nice looking expressions, and when I asked about it I too thought, gee that looks like a PITA. But, once I dove in and began using it, it soon became second nature and isn't hard to use at all. Something that helped me learn the various codes is when I seea command or symbol I am unfamiliar with, I look at the code that the person who posted it used. On this board, all you have to do is hover your mouse cursor over the expression and you can see the code that was used. You'll be TeXin' up a storm in no time!

5. ## Re: Need help making posts ...

I second Mark, presentation is very important, it a) will allow others to easily read what you are saying, i can't remember how many times i skipped posts because it was very difficult to read expressions like \int (2+3/(n+4))^2 , you know? Its a bit difficult at first but once you see how beautiful it comes out, its a good feeling. After a while it becomes second nature.