Document 54

More information about breaking equations

Version: 2.5 - Scientific WorkPlace & Scientific Word

Q. Forcing a line break in the middle of a displayed equation doesn't seem to work. I tried the to insert a newline and a linebreak from the Insert/Spacing/Break dialog box, but the only way I can force a new line is to press Enter within the display. Is there another way?

A. TeX doesn't accept line breaks within displayed equations, so you must break the equation yourself.

As you have discovered, pressing Enter inside the displayed equation creates a multiline equation, a technique that you can use to break your equation. For example, you can have

appear as

by following these steps:

1. Enter the expression as a single displayed equation.

2. Place the insertion point after the g.

3. Press Enter.

   The equation now appears correctly on your screen. However, when you preview or print your document, TeX reduces the space between the + and the h, because it treats the + as a sign rather than as a binary addition operator. To prevent this, add a zero space just before the +, like this:

   1. From the Insert menu, choose Spacing and then choose Horizontal Space.

   2. Select Zero Space.

   3. Choose OK.

TeX thinks you're adding it to the h and therefore treats the + as addition.

Added 07/31/96

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