More Math Into LaTeX, 4th Edition [Paperback]

George Grätzer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387322892 | ISBN-13: 978-0387322896 | Publication Date: August 23, 2007 | Edition: 4

This is the fourth edition of the standard introductory text and complete reference for scientists in all disciplines, as well as engineers. This fully revised version includes important updates on articles and books as well as information on a crucial new topic: how to create transparencies and computer projections, both for classrooms and professional meetings. The text maintains its user-friendly, example-based, visual approach, gently easing readers into the secrets of Latex with The Short Course. Then it introduces basic ideas through sample articles and documents. It includes a visual guide and detailed exposition of multiline math formulas, and even provides instructions on preparing books for publishers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From earlier reviews of Math into Latex:

"There are several Latex guides, but this one wins hands down for the elegance of its approach and breadth of coverage."

--Amazon.com, Best of 2000, Editor’s Choice

 

"A very helpful and useful tool for all scientists and engineers."

--Review of Astronomical Tools

"A novice reader will be able to learn the most essential features of Latex sufficient to begin typesetting papers within a few hours of time . . . An experienced Tex user, on the other hand, will find a systematic and detailed discussion of all Latex features, supporting software, and many other advanced technical issues."

--Reports on Mathematical Physics

From the Back Cover

This new edition of Math Into Latex continues to be the standard introduction and complete reference for writing articles and books containing math formulas. In this fully revised fourth edition, the focus is on important updates in latex for articles and books as well as detailed  information on creating transparencies and computer projections, both for the classroom and professional meetings.

The text maintains its user-friendly, example-based visual approach, gently easing readers into the secrets of latex with The Short Course.  Basic ideas through sample articles and documents are introduced. Key features include a visual guide and detailed presentation of multiline math formulas, instructions on installing Latex on the Mac and PC, and instructions on preparing books for publishers.

Key features of More Math into Latex, 4th edition:

- Installation instructions for PC and Mac users

- An example-based, visual approach and a gentle introduction with the Short Course

- A detailed exposition of multiline math formulas with a Visual Guide

- A unified approach to Tex, Latex, and the AMS enhancements

- A quick introduction to creating presentations with computer projections

From earlier reviews of Math into Latex:

"There are several Latex guides, but this one wins hands down for the elegance of its approach and breadth of coverage."

-Amazon.com Best of 2000, Editor’s choice

"A novice reader will be able to learn the most essential features of Latex sufficient to begin typesetting papers within a few hours of time…An experienced Tex user, on the other hand, will find a systematic and detailed discussion of Latex features."

-Report on Mathematical Physics

"A very helpful and useful tool for all scientists and engineers."

-Review of Astronomical Tools

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 653 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 4 edition (August 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387322892
• ISBN-13: 978-0387322896
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #462,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beginner's perspective, December 17, 2007

By 

James Whitbey - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Math Into LaTeX, 4th Edition (Paperback)

I was a graduate student in math and faced the daunting task of typing my thesis. It was bad enough that I was inexperienced in writing math, but I was also a novice in LaTeX.

I tried two well-known books. In one, there is a Part I, Basics. This is for me, I thought. Unfortunately, it is 200 pages long and does not cover such elementary topics as the "cases" structure. For that, I had to go to page 288. The other book had "cases" hidden on page 238, under the title "Matrix like environments". Not very helpful.

What a relief it was when I came across this book. It helped me set up LaTeX on my Dell notebook (why do other books assume that you already have a LaTeX installation?). Then I downloaded the sample files as instructed and read the really easy 60 page Part I (Short Course). I worked through the text and examples in less than a day. Then I started writing my thesis.

In my spare time, I gave the rest of the book a cursory reading. Occasionally, I need to go beyond what is covered in the Short Course. For instance, as an analyst, I need complicated integrals not covered in Part I. (They are easy to find: in Part II, in the chapter on typing math.) And when the time came to give a presentation on my thesis, I went beyond the Short Course's section on presentations to Chapter 14, and I used Beamer!

Everybody was impressed.

Now I am Jim Whitby Ph.D. Thank you George for the help.

If you are a beginner, this is the your book.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one LaTeX book to have, December 13, 2007

By 

Andrew Horvath - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Math Into LaTeX, 4th Edition (Paperback)

What new can I write about a book that is in its fourth edition, and has served the LaTeX community for almost two decades?

There is a new chapter on presentations and an appendix on installing LaTeX on a PC and on a Mac, so you get help from the get go. Also, for the first time, this book merges TeX, LaTeX, and the AMS packages into one, smoothing the learning curve for beginner and advanced user alike.

If you are new to this book, I should start by pointing out that you get two for the price of one. A sixty page Short Course gets you ready to type your first article in an afternoon or two. The plentiful sample files help you get started fast.

The rest of the book presents a detailed survey of LaTeX: how to type text and math, document structure, presentations, customization, and long documents.

Gratzer teaches by example: each new concept is introduced with examples and sample documents, so you learn by doing.

Multiline math formulas is the most difficult topic of LaTeX. This is the only LaTeX book that dedicates 40 pages to this topic, trying to make it accessible with a Visual Guide and a verbal guide of how these multiline structures can be classified and understood.

Gratzer teaches by distilling the most important information you need. For instance, Beamer, the presentation class he presents, has hundreds of commands and its documentation runs to hundreds of pages. The Beamer chapter selects twenty commands, so you should be on your way writing your first presentation in hours not weeks.

This book has served me well when I started, and it is my constant companion, placed next to my computer when I type LaTeX.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Az expert's take, December 19, 2007

By 

Dick Cook - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Math Into LaTeX, 4th Edition (Paperback)

I am a LaTeX programmer and instructor. This weekend, I finally had time to read Part I of this book, Short Course, and paged through the other parts.

What a pleasure! Grätzer has an amazing talent to say exactly what is important, without putting in extras that will distract a reader.

You'd think that by this time I'd know enough LaTeX to, at least, get through the Short Course without learning anything new; but instead I ran into trick after trick that I didn't know. I use Beamer but I didn't know FoilTeX, the presentation package used in the Short Course. It's a great idea to let tell users very early on how to make a presentation from their papers, and then leave Beamer for full treatment later.

I very much like Appendix A, holding the reader's hand as LaTeX is installed. Then the three "productivity tools" are introduced, explaining how to use these tools on both platforms, and leaving the rest of the user interface for later, leisurely exploration, making it really quick for users to start using LaTeX.

Very early in the introduction, Grätzer talks about "the three layers" (TeX, LaTeX, and the AMS packages) and, from the beginning, use all three seamlessly. This is a radical new idea. It will substantially reduce the learning curve -- my students will appreciate it. The wonderful foreword by Rainer Schöpf (one of the two lead programmers of AMS-LaTeX) makes the role of the AMS packages clear in the historical development of modern LaTeX.

I really like the way you got to "Lines too wide" so early in the Short Course, explaining to the user the cause of the problem and solutions. Why do most books postpone this?

I better not go on and on. Just wanted to write these few lines about my enjoyment as I read this wonderful material.