Writing Modular TeX Documents


(Mathematical Toolset Series: TeX & LaTeX, Part 3 of 3)

If you write frequently, it is likely that you have certain stock or administrative material that is included in each of your documents. You also likely spend a substantial portion of your overall effort re-writing, editing, or re-arranging material. In this situation, one of the best ways of preserving your time and your sanity is to adopt a modular approach to document development.

In this final article of the three part series on LaTeX / TeX, I will discuss a modular approach to document preparation using TeX. I’ll also provide modular templates that should make your use of TeX more efficient.

LaTeX (Maths Typesetting)

Writing Beautiful Mathematics: Getting Started with LaTeX on Windows

If you haven’t done so already, you may want to start by reading the Preface to the Computing Series: Software as a Force Multiplier, Sections 1-3.

2nd ed. Revised with new templates Sep 21, 2019, 1st ed. May 18, 2010.

Getting Started with LaTex
LaTeX (open source, free) is an essential tool to write beautifully formatted mathematics efficiently. If you have extensive mathematical symbology and have been using MS Word for this, you are using the wrong tool for the job (see Figure below). Setting up LaTeX should take no more than an hour, after which you can produce publication-ready mathematical documents quickly and reliably. This article walks you through setting up a working platform for Windows, and provides the LaTeX templates you’ll need to produce your first examples. Also shared is the source code and compilation instructions for an example paper, which you can download and modify for your own use, containing several advanced stylistic elements (endnotes, figures with captions, URLs, code listings, and epigraphs).

An example of mathematics written in LaTeX, from Finite Summation of Integer Powers (Part 3), A. Ebrahim, C. Ouellette, 2010.

An example of mathematics written in LaTeX, from Finite Summation of Integer Powers (Part 3), A. Ebrahim, C. Ouellette, 2010.

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