LaTeX Intro and Motivation

1 Introduction of LaTeX

1.1 Purpose of this Lecture

This lecture is only designed for beginners from the very basic level. It covers the topics such as file types, latex editor, how to use latex, symbols, lists, fonts, table, format, etc.

1.2 Requirements

The LaTeX is the markup language used for the typesetting of the technical documents. To learn LaTeX you must have a great idea of MS Word and the way or method in which you want to design your document. It also needs an understanding of mathematics and related commands.

1.3 Word Processors vs. LaTeX 

The Weaknesses of Word

1. WYSIWYG programs combine composition and typesetting

   1. most Word users don’t know much

   2. may lose logical structure of a document

2. bibliographies, cross-references, figure labels must be completed by hand

3. different versions mean compatibility issues

4. cost!

5. Word is terrible at math!

1.4 The History of LaTeX 

1. TeX 

   1. Donald Knuth, 1977

   2. Art of Computer Programming, realized high quality digital typesetting system was necessary

2. LaTeX 

   1. Leslie Lamport, early 1985 (manual published in 1986)

   2. needed macro package on top of TEX

   3. has become the standard

1.5 The Strengths of LaTeX 

1. portability and compatibility - text files!

2. very flexible

3. cost (free!)

4. consistency throughout document

5. allows you to focus on content

6. automation of tedious tasks (cross-references, bibliographies, etc.)

7. radical, global changes can be implemented consistently with very little work

8. decision-making about formatting can be left to user.

1.6 The Weaknesses of LaTeX 

1. undeniable learning curve

2. complex formatting may occasionally take more time than a word processor (e.g., tables)

1.7 What is LaTeX ?

1. It is an open-source and powerful document preparation system. It is high-quality typesetting, which can be used for any publishing.

2. It is often used for scientific publications and medium to large technical documents.

3. It is not a word processor or any word document, but it is an efficient way for the publishers and the authors to organize their materials.

4. It gives a unique appearance to the system. It saves the time for designing as well as the efforts used for the documents.

5. You must remember that LaTeX is not a word processor! Don’t expect it to behave like one.