DP LaTeX Self-Study Materials

Version 1.0b -- August 24, 2008

<> CONTENTS
<> USAGE
<> FORMATTING TIPS
<> DISPLAYED EQUATIONS
<> CONTACT INFORMATION
<> CHANGE LOG


CONTENTS
========

This package contains pages of LaTeX formatting taken from DP
projects, covering a variety of techniques in no particular order.
Each page is in a separate folder, containing the following files:

* scan.png     -- Page scan from the actual project,
* proofer.txt  -- Output text from P3, the final proofing round,
* solution.tex -- Formatted LaTeX code,
* solution.pdf -- Compiled page.

The solution.tex files contain comments and annotations:

  % [** F1: Note to future rounds and/or the PPer]
  % Annotation solely for users of this self-study package.

The former would be put into "live" pages, the latter should not.

The English PDF files were compiled using the file wrapper.tex in the
top-level folder; the French pages were compiled with wrapper_fr.tex.
Each assumes its contents are found in a file named mysolution.tex.


USAGE
=====

To use these files:

1. Copy (or rename) the file proofer.txt to mysolution.tex,

2. Add your own LaTeX formatting to mysolution.tex, consulting scan.png.

3. Put a copy of wrapper.tex (or wrapper_fr.tex) in the same folder as
  mysolution.tex, compile wrapper.tex, and compare wrapper.pdf with
  solution.pdf and scan.png.

4. Manually compare mysolution.tex against solution.tex.


FORMATTING TIPS
===============

In addition to obvious features such as mathematical symbols and font
changes, each file contains numerous "fine points" that are important
to get right in F1, including

* Non-breaking spaces, or "ties" (~ characters), placed where an
  inter-word space should be but a line break would be unacceptable.

* Thin spaces (\, commands), placed before the differential in certain
  mathematical expressions, and elsewhere as necessary.

* Inclusion or omission of punctuation from a font change, depending
  on both semantics and typography.

* Blank lines (or their absence) following a displayed equation, at
  the start of a page or after footnotes, comments, and the like. In
  all cases, a blank signifies the start of a new paragraph. Blank
  lines *must not* appear within a displayed equation, nor just before
  a displayed equation. (There are *very* rare exceptions, but if you
  aren't absolutely positive, you're not in that situation.)

  If you wish to leave a blank line (in a displayed equation, for
  example) to enhance readability of dense code, place a comment
  character % on a line by itself.

* Usage of \tfrac or \dfrac only when the default size of \frac would
  be incorrect.


DISPLAYED EQUATIONS
===================

Many of DP's projects use the old-style typographical technique of
running text into a displayed equation. For instance:

  If     y = x^2 - 1
           = (x+1)(x-1) = 0,
  then    x=1 or x=-1.

Modern typographical practice would set this as:

  If
         y = x^2 - 1
           = (x+1)(x-1) = 0,
  then
          x=1 or x=-1.

Notice how the text and equations are no longer on the same line.

Aligned displayed equations may be formatted using the AMS align*
environment.  The \intertext command is used to insert snippets of
text while maintaining equation alignment. Thus, the snippet above
could be formatted

  If
  \begin{align*}
  y &= x^2 - 1 \\
    &= (x+1)(x-1) = 0,
  \intertext{then}
  x &= 1 \quad\text{or}\quad x=-1.
  \end{align*}

This captures the semantics (meaning) of the passage, but adds too
much vertical space; however, the PPer can uniformly adjust the
spacing if equations have been marked up consistently.

Alternatively, if you are fairly new to LaTeX, it's fine simply to use
an ordinary displayed equation:

  If
  \[
  % [** F1: Next few equations aligned in original]
  y = x^2 - 1
    = (x+1)(x-1) = 0,
  \]
  then
  \[
  x=1 \quad\text{or}\quad x=-1.
  \]

This will not match the scan, of course. If you go this route, it's
generally helpful to format your LaTeX code so that line breaks and
alignments are represented, and perhaps to leave a note for the PPer.


CONTACT INFORMATION
===================

If you have comments, corrections, or other suggestions, please PM or
email me:
Andrew D. ("Andy") Hwang (DP: adhere)
ahwang -at- mathcs -dot- holycross -dot- edu
http://mathcs.holycross.edu/~ahwang


CHANGE LOG
==========

August 24, 2008 -- Version 1.0b (windymilla)
  * page12 -- page15: Modify formatter's comments slightly.
  * page13/solution.tex: Replace "·" with \cdot.
  * page14/solution.tex: Add missing braces to subscript on line 6.
  * page15/solution.tex: Add missing paragraph break at line 18.

August 04, 2008 -- Version 1.0a
  * Unify the format of comments. (windymilla)
  * In page12 -- page15:
    - Rectify improper use of \dfrac, \tfrac.
    - Prettify alignment of displayed equation code.
    - Put equation number references in math mode.
  * Miscellaneous changes to README.txt.

August 02, 2008 -- Version 1.0
  * Initial public release