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Re: Re: Trying to use Mathematica as "word processor" for my math homework

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg44385] Re: [mg44336] Re: Trying to use Mathematica as "word processor" for my math homework
  • From: Tomas Garza <tgarza01 at prodigy.net.mx>
  • Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003 05:16:37 -0500 (EST)
  • References: <bo7oud$aj1$1@smc.vnet.net> <200311051501.KAA26459@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

One more question: How do you place a caption for a table constructed with
gridbox? Something equivalent to PlotLabel for a plot?

Tomas Garza


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Luttrell" <luttrell at _removemefirst_westmal.demon.co.uk>
To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
Subject: [mg44385] [mg44336] Re: Trying to use Mathematica as "word processor" for my
math homework


> 1. Don't use input cells for your running text. To display maths in
running
> text use a text cell and embed the maths as an inline cell embedded within
> this text cell. You can start an inline cell by putting the cursor
anywhere
> in a text cell and doing "Ctrl 9" (or Edit | Expression INput | Start
Inline
> Cell).
>
> 2. It may be that the page properties are such that there is not enough
room
> for the plot left on the current page (even though there IS enough room
> according to your eye). Have a look at File | Printing Settings | Page
> Setup...
>
> 3 & 4. You have overridden the default fonts in your cells. If you want to
> make global changes then it is best to edit the style sheet. This is done
> via Format | Edit Style Sheet ..., and select "Import Private Copy" to
> ensure you don't edit the master copy.
>
> If you want to have a standard set up for writing a paper for publication
> you could start with the "Article Classic" or "Article Modern" style sheet
> (reached from the Format | Style Sheet | ... menu). Use Text cells as your
> default. Embed inline maths using inline cells in the text cells. Use
> Numbered Equation or Display Formula cells for equations, and convert
these
> cells to TraditionalForm using Cell | Convert To | Traditional Form in
order
> to get the maths to display in a nice format (i.e. rather like LaTeX would
> produce, but in a different font). For multi-line equations you can lay
> things out in a controlled way by inserting a GridBox in the equation (you
> find this looking like an empty 2x2 matrix on the Basic Typesetting
Palette
> reached from the File | Palettes | ... menu), and you plug whatever you
want
> into the empty gridbox cells ... and I could go on and on ... I find
> Mathematica can do everything I want in writing technical papers, but it's
> just not documented in a way that helps you get started quickly!
>
> --
> Steve Luttrell
> West Malvern, UK
>
> "Bob Harris" <nitlion at mindspring.com> wrote in message
> news:bo7oud$aj1$1 at smc.vnet.net...
> > Howdy,
> >
> > I have recently returned to grad school, and am attempting to use
> > mathematica as my "word processor" for my math-related homework.  There
> are
> > a few annoying things that keep happening to my attempts at this, and I
> > thought I'd describe them here in hopes that someone would have some
> better
> > suggestions.
> >
> > For an example of what I've been doing, see
> >     http://www.cse.psu.edu/~rsharris/spamlog/ExampleHW.nb
> >
> > My motivations are (a) it will give me a clean output that will be
easier
> on
> > the grader's eyes, (b) it will make it easier for me to edit changes to
> > equations, etc., and (c) I can include mathematica-generated plots and
> > import drawings from other packages.
> >
> > I've been doing this with some success from the beginning of the fall
> > semester.  I'm not incredibly sophistocated with mathematica, but have
> > managed to do this using only InputForm and StandardForm cells (i.e. I
> have
> > set the cells to DisplayAs one of those two forms, depending on whether
> the
> > cell contains running text or equations).  This sort of works, but there
> are
> > many shortcomings:
> >
> > 1) Mathematica likes to auto format things, so it is difficult for me to
> get
> > things to line up the way I want them to.  This has made the inclusion
of
> > mathematical symbology in my running text difficult.  I think I have
> > discovered that displaying a cell as Text rather than InputForm is
better,
> > but haven't tried it much yet.
> >
> > 2) In many cases when I include a plot, or an imported drawing, when I
> print
> > out the notebook I get an unnecessary page feed before and/or after the
> > plot/drawing.
> >
> > 3) Font sizes on the printout don't seem to correlate with font sizes on
> the
> > screen.  The default size of 12 pt is fine to read on the screen, but is
> too
> > small on the printed page.  Very surprisingly, it is not as large on
paper
> > as wehen I use 12 pt fonts in other programs.
> >
> > 4) Trying to set font sizes on things seems like a nightmare of hard to
> > comprehend results.  E.g. slecting a cell and setting the font size many
> > times seems to have no effect whatsoever.
> >
> > 5) ... others ...
> >
> > I've also looked at style sheets a little bit.  Like I said, I'm not
very
> > mathematica-sophistocated, and am trying to find a fairly quick solution
> > that I can implement without having to dig *too* deep (am willing to dig
> > some, but don't really have the time with my current class and teaching
> load
> > to spend a lot of time with this).
> >
> > It seems like what I'm after is the same sort of set up that someone
> writing
> > a paper for publicatiojn would need.  Have looked for such examples, but
> > have not found any.
> >
> > Thanks for any help or suggestions,
> > Bob Harris
> >
>
>



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