Supported by: ACS
TeX, is a typesetting language designed especially for math and science. It is a markup system, which means that formatting commands are interspersed with the text in the TeX input file. In addition to commands for formatting ordinary text, TeX includes many special symbols and commands with which you can format mathematical formulae with both ease and precision. Because of its extraordinary capabilities, TeX has become the leading typesetting system for mathematics, science, and engineering and has been adopted as a standard by the American Mathematical Society.
Because plain TeX can be difficult to use, many people prefer to work with LaTeX, a package built upon TeX that simplifies its use.
You begin the process by using an editor, such as emacs or vi, to create your TeX input file. For example, to create such a file using the emacs editor, you would enter the following command from a UNIX prompt:
emacs filename.tex
In the above example, filename.tex is the name of the file you wish to create. Please note that you should include the .tex extension on your filename.
You then run the TeX program to process the file, and TeX produces a new file called a DVI ("device independent") file that is in binary format (not readable to humans). A separate program called a "device driver" converts the DVI file to a format acceptable to the printer you are using. Device drivers for the screen are called previewers.For more detailed information on using TeX, refer to the documentation listed below.
The following TeX-related document is available online:
Another valuable source of TeX-related information is Donald E. Knuth's The TeX Book, available at the Rensselaer Union Bookstore, on reserve in the Folsom Library, and via the ACS Help Desk in the VCC.
A compiled list of helpful tips, tricks, and shortcuts to use as you're working with TeX.
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consult@rpi.edu