LaTeX

LaTeX is a markup-based typesetting system where you write plain text with formatting commands, and a TeX engine compiles it into a polished PDF.

I use LaTeX in many of my classes to take down formulae in my notes, and I have recently been trying to improve my efficiency in writing in LaTeX so as to be a better note-taker for my Math-heavy content.

Useful Triggers:

Based on my current LaTeX Suite snippets. Most triggers below expand automatically inside math mode. Triggers are case-sensitive. In the examples, □ marks a field to fill in; it is not literal output. Use Tab to move through snippet fields. Entries marked manual require snippet expansion rather than expanding automatically.

Math mode and text

Trigger	Result / use
mk	Inline math: ${}□{}$ in normal text; \(□\) in a text environment inside math
dm	Display math between $$ on separate lines; also handles text before it and indentation in lists
text or "	\text{□} inside math
beg	\begin{□} … \end{□} with linked environment names; the regex requires a preceding character

Powers, roots, fractions and subscripts

Trigger	Result / example
sr, cb	^{2}, ^{3} — e.g. xsr → x^{2}
rd	^{□}
_	_{□}
sts	_\text{□} for a text subscript
sq	\sqrt{□}
3rt	\sqrt[3]{□}; any single digit works before rt
//	\frac{□}{□}
ee	e^{□} at a word boundary
invs	^{-1}
conj	^{*}
x3, x34	Automatically become x_{3}, x_{34}; also works with Greek letters and accented variables
xnn, xjj, xp1	x_{n}, x_{j}, x_{n+1}
\xii	x_{i} — this trigger includes a leading backslash
ynn, yii, yjj	y_{n}, y_{i}, y_{j}

Greek letters

Trigger	Result	Uppercase trigger	Result
@a	$\alpha$	—	—
@b	$\beta$	—	—
@g	$\gamma$	@G	$\Gamma$
@d	$\delta$	@D	$\Delta$
@e, :e	$ϵ$, $\epsilon$	—	—
@z	$\zeta$	—	—
@t, :t	$\theta$, $\vartheta$	@T	$\Theta$
@i	$\iota$	—	—
@k	$\kappa$	—	—
@l	$\lambda$	@L	$\Lambda$
@s	$\sigma$	@S	$\Sigma$
@u	$\upsilon$	@U	${\rm Y}$
@o or ome	$\omega$	@O or Ome	$\Omega$

Accents and fonts

Trigger	Result / example
xhat, xbar, xtilde	\hat{x}, \bar{x}, \tilde{x}
xdot, xddot	\dot{x}, \ddot{x}
xvec, xund	\vec{x}, \underline{x}
hat, bar, tilde, dot, ddot, vec, und	The same accents with an empty field to fill in
\alpha hat	\hat{\alpha}; Greek letters also support space + dot, bar, vec, tilde, und
x,. or x.,	\mathbf{x}; Greek macros use \boldsymbol, e.g. \alpha,.
bf, rm	\mathbf{□}, \mathrm{□}
Re, Im, trace	\mathrm{Re}, \mathrm{Im}, \mathrm{Tr}

Operators, relations and arrows

Trigger	Result
ooo	$\infty$
sum	\sum_{□}^{□}
prod	\prod
\sum, \prod (manual)	Indexed templates with defaults: \sum_{i=1}^{N} □, \prod_{i=1}^{N} □
lim	\lim_{n \to \infty} □ with editable fields
+-, -+	$\pm$, $\mp$
xx, ** or cdot	$\times$, $\cdot$
..., nabl	$\dots$, $\nabla$
para, deg	\parallel, \degree
===, !=	$\equiv$, $\ne$
>=, <=, >>, <<	$\ge$, $\le$, $\gg$, $\ll$
simm, sim=, prop	$\sim$, $\simeq$, $\propto$
->, <->, !>	$\to$, $\leftrightarrow$, $\mapsto$
=>, =<	$⟹$, $⟸$
pmod	\pmod{n} with editable modulus

Sets and number systems

Trigger	Result
and, orr	$\cap$, $\cup$ (and requires a word boundary)
inn, notin	$\in$, $\notin$
\\\ (three backslashes)	$\setminus$
sub=, sup=	$\subseteq$, $\supseteq$
eset, set	\emptyset, \{ □ \} (set requires a word boundary)
RR, NN, ZZ, QQ, CC	$\mathbb{R}$, $\mathbb{N}$, $\mathbb{Z}$, $\mathbb{Q}$, $\mathbb{C}$
LL, HH	$\mathcal{L}$, $\mathcal{H}$

Calculus

Trigger	Result / example
par (manual)	\frac{\partial y}{\partial x} with editable fields
par2	\frac{\partial^{2} y}{\partial x^{2}}; any single digit works
parn	General partial derivative with editable order, function and variable
payx (manual)	\frac{\partial y}{\partial x}; pattern is pa + function letter + variable letter
ddt	\frac{d}{dt}
\int (manual)	\int □ \, dx with editable variable
dint	\int_{0}^{1} □ \, dx with editable bounds and variable
oint, iint, iiint	\oint, \iint, \iiint
oinf	\int_{0}^{\infty} □ \, dx
infi	\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} □ \, dx
tayl	Taylor expansion of f(x+h) through the second-order term, followed by \dots; f, x and h are linked editable fields

Brackets and environments

Trigger	Result / use
avg	\langle □ \rangle
norm, Norm	\lvert □ \rvert (absolute value), \lVert □ \rVert (norm)
mod	A pair of plain vertical bars; use pmod for modular arithmetic
ceil, floor	\lceil □ \rceil, \lfloor □ \rfloor
(, [, {	Insert a matching closing bracket and a field inside
lr(, lr[, lr{	Automatically sized brackets using \left and \right
lr + a vertical bar	Automatically sized absolute-value bars
lra	\left< □ \right>
pmat, bmat, Bmat, vmat, Vmat	Matrix environments with parentheses, square brackets, braces, single bars or double bars
matrix, cases, align, array	Matching \begin{…} and \end{…}; display math uses new lines, inline math stays on one line
iden3	A filled-in $3\times 3$ identity matrix in a pmatrix; accepts a single-digit size

Operations on selected math

Select the expression first, then use the visual trigger.

Trigger	Wrap selection in
U, O	An underbrace with a label below, or an overbrace with a label above
B	\underset{□}{selection}
C, K	\cancel{selection}, \cancelto{□}{selection}
S	\sqrt{selection}
(, [, {	Matching brackets

Physics and chemistry

Trigger	Result
kbt, msun	k_{B}T, M_{\odot}
dag, o+, ox	^{\dagger}, \oplus, \otimes (ox requires a word boundary)
bra, ket, brk	\bra{□}, \ket{□}, \braket{□ \vert □} (the snippet uses a literal vertical bar)
outer	\ket{\psi} \bra{\psi} with the state linked between both fields
pu, cee	\pu{□}, \ce{□}
he4, he3	{}^{4}_{2}He, {}^{3}_{2}He
iso	{}^{4}_{2}He with editable mass number, atomic number and element

Automatic helpers

• Recognised Greek names and symbols get a backslash automatically when preceded by a non-backslash character. Similar rules handle exp, log, ln, det, int and standard trig functions such as sin, cos, tan and their listed inverses.
• arccsc, arcsec and arccot expand using \operatorname{…}.
• After a Greek or symbol macro, space + sr, cb or rd applies a power without retaining the space: \alpha sr → \alpha^{2}.
• Digits after variables and Greek letters become subscripts; digits after other macros get a separating space, e.g. \leq1 → \leq 1. The digit rule excludes \pu and \ce.
• Macro protection helps prevent snippets from expanding partway through recognised commands. A separating space is inserted when an appended letter no longer matches a known macro prefix.