Learning Latex, Vol. 55 FROM THE PUBLISHER
Here is a short, well-written book that covers the material essential
for learning LATEX without any unnecessary detail. It includes
incisive examples that teach LATEX in a powerful yet abbreviated
fashion. This is the handbook to have if you don't want to wade
through extraneous material. This manual includes the following
crucial features:
numerous examples of widely used mathematical expressions;
complete documents illustrating the creation of articles, reports,
and overhead projector slides;
troubleshooting tips to help you pinpoint an error;
details of how to set up a bibliography and an index;
information about LATEX resources available on the Internet.
Why do you need to learn LATEX ? LATEX has become an extremely popular
typesetting system and is widely used throughout the sciences. As a
student you may need to typeset reports and theses in LATEX
(particularly if you are a graduate student in any mathematics or
computer science discipline). Or you may be someone who had planned to
"eventually" get around to learning LATEX , but you are still using
older systems and methods of typesetting. Procrastinate no more!
The authors have elected to cover LATEX 2e, the latest standard
version at the time of publication. The old and new versions are very
similar and it is clear that the LATEX 2e version will soon dominate.
An appendix discusses the differences between 2e and the older
version, 2.09.
Audience
Readers must know how to produce ASCII files with an editor and have
LATEX 2e available. The material is accessible for beginners, and the
book covers enough material to be of use to the majority of potential
LATEX users.
About the Authors
David F. Griffiths is a Reader in the Department of Mathematics and
Computer Science at the University of Dundee. Desmond J. Higham is a
Reader in the Department of Mathematics at the University of
Strathclyde.
FROM THE CRITICS
American Mathematical Monthly
A clear, simple, up-to-date, sometimes amusing introduction to
LATEX — brief yet surprisingly comprehensive. Covers basics, graphics,
bibliographies, indexes, slides, electronic resources, differences
between "old" and "new" LATEX, etc. Rich with brief but pertinent
examples.
Journal of Mathematical Psychology
This booklet is an excellent source for learning LATEX. The authors
target the beginner and focus on the most essential commands. The book
instructs mainly through the use of examples. Despite the deceptively
reader-friendly approach, the authors nonetheless quickly tackle
difficult mathematical typesetting problems.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Learning LATEX, by David F. Griffiths and Desmond J. Higham, is an excellent, easy-to-read introduction to LaTeX, the popular typesetting system used extensively in the mathematical sciences. Although this primer is brief, it covers the essentials of this text processing system remarkably clearly and with far more humour than one normally encounters in computer documentation. I strongly recommend it to anyone intending to learn LATEX . (Ken Jackson, University of Toronto)
— Ken Jackson
The book is playful, witty, intelligent, and extremely easy to read.
...Learning LATEX tells you what you want to know, with examples, in
sensible, clear, entertaining language. I don't think I have ever seen
a better manual. ...Overall, I would say that for more than 90% of
LATEX users, all the commands they will ever need are contained in
this book, in a smoothly accessible format. ...Learning LATEX should
be the first book on the shelf for most people.
— (Robert M. Corless, University of Western Ontario)
"The book is aimed squarely at beginners to LATEX who wish to learn
the basics with a minimum of fuss. It's always clear and to the point.
The many examples are often amusing. I like this little book a lot."
-Lawrence F. Shampine, Southern Methodist University.
— Lawrence F. Shampine
An excellent introduction for new graduate students and others who
are about to write their first mathematical paper.
— (Charles Van Loan, Cornell University)
This book is an excellent introductory text for anyone using LATEX
for the first time. Especially those writing mathematical papers or
theses. It describes and gives examples of the most regularly used
constructions but keeps the whole process simple. It is laid out in an
excellent progression through the steps involved in the preparation of
a LATEX document. The examples given clearly illustrate the points
which the authors want to make.
— (Andrew Malcolm, United Kingdom Meteorological Office)
Most beginners in LATEX do not wish to read through a large
comprehensive manual. They want a brief account which covers the
essential elements of the subject. This excellent book by Griffiths
and Higham is the answer. It begins very gently, showing how to
produce a simple document, and goes on to cover the basics in an
easy-going but rigorous style. Light-hearted touches add some fun on
the way. Yet this book is most carefully written and packs a lot into
its 80 plus pages. .the book changes from sympathetic tutor to
reliable reference manual. The first-rate index makes the book equally
good in this second and more enduring role.
— (George M. Phillips, Mathematical Insitute, University of St. Andrews, Scotland)
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