Symbols and operators

In the initial Math Mode help page we showed how to access greek letters using the backslash key. Here we’ll look at other useful mathematical symbols and operators including the multiplication symbol, division symbol and trigonometric functions.

Example 1:

$\times \div \equiv \ge \le s\in \cos \tan$

Turns into:

You can create as many of these as you want as well as put them inside fractions such as:

Example 2:

$\frac {\cos \tan (\alpha)}{ x \equiv \tan (\eta)}$

Turns into:

Square roots and binomials

Square roots and binomials are created similarly to fractions as the operator must be followed by one or more pairs of curly brackets. Binomials are accessed using the binom operator followed by two pairs of curly brackets. For example.

$\binom{n}{k}$

Square roots only need one pair of curly brackets to work after the sqrt operator. Inside the curly brackets you can put whatever you want.

$\sqrt{\sin x}$

The sqrt operator can also be used for roots with different powers. All you need to do is include the power in square brackets, before the curly ones. Here’s an example:

$\sqrt[4]{\sin x}$

You can also combine multiple operators, for example:

$\sqrt[3]{ \frac {\cos x^2} {\tan y^4} } \equiv \alpha_0 \times \gamma_1$

As equations get longer and more complex it’s a good idea to leave some space between the various elements to endorse clarity and avoid making the common mistake of .... when writing equations in LaTex format.

Common Mistakes

I mentioned spacing in the last paragraph and for a good reason. LaTex operators are in the format “backslash + string of text”. If you don’t leave space in between the end of the operator string and a next letter it will interpret the letter as being part of the string and not transform into the operator you want. For example.

If you type:

$\alphax$

What comes out is this:

The “alphax” has not been transformed into an accurate looking symbol and this is LaTex’s way of showing it has been written incorrectly. It should look like this:

To get:

When combining operators this is not an issue as the backslash of the following operator interrupts the string, and it's the same with numbers. For example:

$\alpha\beta2$

You can use any math operator in Math Mode on Quizalize by simply inserting the correct LaTex formula. Click here to access a sheet identifying key formulae, as well as more complex examples.