Introduction to Latex

LaTeX is a document preparation system commonly used for producing scientific and technical documents due to its powerful handling of mathematical equations, references, and formatting.

LaTeX was developed by Leslie Lamport in 1984 as an extension of TeX, which was created by Donald Knuth in 1978.

Key Contributions:

1. Donald Knuth:

   • Created TeX, a powerful typesetting system designed to produce high-quality documents, especially for mathematical and scientific content.
   • Focused on precision in typography and algorithms for typesetting.

2. Leslie Lamport:

   • Built LaTeX on top of TeX to make it easier to use for the general user.
   • Introduced logical document structuring (e.g., \section, \subsection) and macros to simplify formatting.

Today, LaTeX is maintained and updated by the LaTeX3 Project team.

LaTeX is a markup language where you write plain text combined with special formatting commands. It compiles the text into beautifully formatted documents, especially useful for scientific papers, theses, resumes, and reports.

LaTeX is like a word processor but with more control and precision. Instead of clicking buttons, you write commands in a .tex file, and LaTeX compiles it into a professional-quality PDF. It's especially good for:

• Scientific documents.
• Academic papers.
• Reports with equations, tables, and references.
• Bibliographies and citations.
• Presentations (using Beamer)

How it Works: You write plain text (source code) with LaTeX commands, and it is compiled into a formatted PDF.

Why Use LaTeX?

1. Professional Quality: Outputs are well-formatted, consistent, and professional.
2. Handles Complex Content: Easily manages equations, bibliographies, and large documents.
3. Customizable: You can adjust styles, formatting, and layouts to suit your needs.
4. Free and Open Source: Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

How to Get Started

1. Install LaTeX:

   • Download and install a LaTeX distribution:
     • Windows: MiKTeX
     • macOS: MacTeX
     • Linux: Use the texlive package (most distributions).
   • Use an editor:
     • Overleaf (online, no installation required).
     • TeXworks, TeXShop, or VS Code with LaTeX plugins (local editors).

2. Write a Document:

   • Save your file with a .tex extension (e.g., example.tex).

3. Compile the Document:

   • Use pdflatex or your editor's "Build" button to convert .tex to a .pdf.

Installing LaTeX on Windows/Linux

Windows Installation

1. Install a TeX Distribution:

   • Download and install a TeX distribution like MiKTeX or TeX Live.
   • MiKTeX Download (recommended for Windows beginners).
   • TeX Live Download.

2. Install a LaTeX Editor:

   • While MiKTeX includes a basic editor, it's recommended to use a more user-friendly editor like:
     • TeXworks (comes with MiKTeX)
     • Overleaf (online, no installation needed)
     • Texmaker or TeXstudio for more advanced features.
   • Download TeXstudio: https://www.texstudio.org/.

3. Verify Installation:

   • Open your editor and compile a sample .tex file (see below for an example).

---

Linux Installation

1. Install a TeX Distribution:

   • Use the package manager to install TeX Live:

     bash
     
     sudo apt update
     sudo apt install texlive-full
     

   • Alternatively, install MiKTeX:

     bash
     
     sudo apt install miktex
     

2. Install a LaTeX Editor:

   • Install an editor like TeXstudio or Texmaker:

     bash
     
     sudo apt install texstudio
     

   • Alternatively, use Overleaf for an online editor.

3. Verify Installation:

• Create a sample .tex file and compile it using your installed editor or the terminal.

Writing Your First LaTeX Document

1. Create a New File:

   • Open your LaTeX editor.
   • Save a new file with a .tex extension (e.g., sample.tex).

2. Write the Document:

    \documentclass{article} % Document class

    \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} % Input encoding

    \title{My First LaTeX Document}

    \author{Your Name}

    \date{\today}

    \begin{document}

    \maketitle

    \section{Introduction}

    This is a sample LaTeX document. LaTeX is powerful for creating structured documents.

    \section{Mathematics}

    LaTeX handles equations well:

    \[ E = mc^2 \]

    \end{document}

How It Works:

• \documentclass{article}: Tells LaTeX the document type. Other options include report and book.
• \usepackage: Adds extra functionality (e.g., special characters or graphics).
• \begin{document} / \end{document}: Wraps the main content of your file.
• \maketitle: Generates the title based on the \title, \author, and \date.

Compile the Document:

• In the editor, click Build or Compile.
• If you're using the terminal (Linux), navigate to the file's directory and run:

  bash
  
  pdflatex sample.tex
  

• This generates a PDF (sample.pdf).

LaTeX Basics

Structure

• Preamble: Contains settings and packages (\documentclass, \usepackage).
• Document Body: Starts with \begin{document} and ends with \end{document}.

Adding Text

Paragraphs

To write text, simply type it! Leave an empty line between paragraphs:

This is the first paragraph.

This is the second paragraph.

Text Formatting

• Bold: \textbf{This is bold text}
• Italic: \textit{This is italic text}
• Underline: \underline{This is underlined text}

Creating Sections 

Sections

Organize your document with sections and subsections:
\section{Main Section}
This is the main section.

\subsection{Subsection}
This is a subsection.

\subsubsection{Sub-subsection}

This is a sub-subsection.

Lists

Unordered List:

\begin{itemize}

    \item First item

    \item Second item

    \item Third item

\end{itemize}

Ordered List:

\begin{enumerate}
    \item First item
    \item Second item
    \item Third item
\end{enumerate}

Adding Simple Math

LaTeX shines when it comes to writing math. Use dollar signs $...$ for inline math or \[...\] for display math:

• Inline: Einstein's equation is $E = mc^2$
• Display:\[ E = mc^2 \]

Creating Tables

Here's a simple table:

\begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}
\hline
Column 1 & Column 2 & Column 3 \\ \hline
Data 1 & Data 2 & Data 3 \\ \hline
Data 4 & Data 5 & Data 6 \\ \hline
\end{tabular}

Explanation:

• |: Draws vertical lines.
• \hline: Draws horizontal lines.
• \\: Ends a row.

Adding Images

Adding images to a LaTeX document is simple once you understand the basics.

 

Include the graphicx Package

The graphicx package provides the necessary tools to add and manipulate images. Add this line to the preamble (before \begin{document}):

\usepackage{graphicx}

Use the \includegraphics Command

To insert an image, use the \includegraphics command. Here's the simplest example:

\includegraphics{imagefile}

Replace imagefile with the name of your image file (e.g., picture.png). LaTeX automatically searches for the file in the same directory as your .tex file.

Adjusting Image Size

You can specify the width, height, or scale of the image:

• Set Width: \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{imagefile}
• Set Height: \includegraphics[height=3cm]{imagefile}
• Scale the Image: \includegraphics[scale=0.5]{imagefile}

Placing the Image in the Document

Images are typically placed inside a figure environment. This allows you to add captions and references.

\begin{figure}[h] % 'h' places the figure approximately here

    \centering

    \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{imagefile}

    \caption{This is a sample image.}

    \label{fig:sample} % For referencing

\end{figure}

Explanation:

• [h]: Position the figure approximately where it appears in the code. Other options include:
  • t: Top of the page.
  • b: Bottom of the page.
  • p: On a separate page for floats.
• \centering: Centers the image.
• \caption{}: Adds a caption below the image.
• \label{}: Adds a reference label to the image for later use.

Supported Image Formats

• PDF: Best for vector graphics.
• PNG, JPEG: Best for raster images.
• EPS: Requires compilation with latex instead of pdflatex.

Example Document

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

\usepackage{graphicx}

\title{Including Images in LaTeX}

\author{Your Name}

\date{\today}

\begin{document}

\maketitle

\section{Introduction}

This is an example of including images in a LaTeX document.

\section{Example Image}

Here is an image with a caption and scaling:

\begin{figure}[h]

    \centering

    \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{example-image}

    \caption{An example image inserted in LaTeX.}

    \label{fig:example}

\end{figure}

As shown in Figure~\ref{fig:example}, you can easily include images.

\end{document}

Resources for Learning

• Documentation:
  • Learn LaTeX Online
  • The "Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX": Download PDF
• Forums:
• Stack Exchange (TeX)

Practice Exercise

Write a simple document that includes:

1. A title, author, and date.
2. Two sections: "Introduction" and "Conclusion".
3. A bold sentence and a math equation.

Here’s the outline:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

\title{LaTeX Practice}
\author{Your Name}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
This is my first LaTeX document. I can write \textbf{bold text} and even equations like $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$.
\section{Conclusion}
Learning LaTeX is fun and useful!
\end{document}