Welcome to Mathematics 2130

A few remarks about software

LaTeX-oriented integrated environments (editors)
• In the computer lab and more generally, on computers running UNIX/Linux operating systems, the recommended editor is Kile.
• A similar Windows-based environment is TeXnicCenter (free software).
  Alternatively, you may consider WinEdit (30 days trial period, then has to be purchased; inexpensive)
  or a full-blown commercial editor Scientific Word with integrated LaTeX.
• On Mac OS, a good option is TeXShop. Click that link, go to the "Obtaining" page and follow instructions. Alternately just click here to dowload everything you need (the total file is over a gigabyte so you will need to be patient).
  

Command-line LaTeXing (in a UNIX terminal window)
• latex filename.tex (create dvi file). To quit in the case of errors, press "x" or "Ctrl-C"
• xdvi filename.dvi (view dvi file)
• dvips filename.dvi (convert dvi to ps)
• gv filename.ps (invoke Ghostview to view Postscript file)
• ps2pdf filename.ps (convert ps to pdf)
• acroread filename.pdf (invoke Acrobat Reader to view PDF file)
• A PDF file can be created directly from a LaTeX file by the command pdflatex filename.tex. However, this command does not properly process encapsulated postscript graphics. There is a little trick to bypass the problem.

Related Web Resources

Some LaTeX Information:
Help with LaTeX (from TUG, the TeX Users' Group; look for TeX FAQs)
LaTeX Commands (hosted locally, but originally found at CTAN's FTP Archive)
A Sample LaTeX File     and    one more (featuring, in particular, Bibliography in the Table of contents)
A Longer Sample File (not an html; export and save)
A Sample Maple Worksheet (not an html; export and save)

Professional LaTeX references (consider purchasing if you are planning to use LaTeX beyond this course)
LaTeX: A Document Preparation System  by Leslie Lamport
LaTeX Graphics Companion  by M.Goosens and others

The Elements of Style by William Strunk    ``gives in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style and concentrates attention on the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated''