3
$\begingroup$

Why can't I use \displaystyle or $$ in titles? What's the problem? I'm not sure if it's necessary to use in titles, but I am certain that in the body it is.

I don't understand why this "messes up" the things. Looks like just some more characters, which may be helpful and maybe not unhelpful.

I would like an explanation about this. Thanks.

I read this before post my question yesterday.

$\endgroup$

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
11
$\begingroup$

Because it breaks the layout of the list of questions, among others. It is a title: sort of by definition, it should not contain displayed material!

Also, please do not make titles be entirely composed of TeX material.

$\endgroup$
9
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ To expand on that last sentence: the workflow of yours truly (and probably most other people here) is to open up questions in new tabs/windows. If one right-clicks on a title that is entirely in $\TeX$, it is the MathJax menu that is brought up instead of the browser's popup menu. This inconveniences people like me who want to open questions in separate tabs/windows... $\endgroup$
    – J. M. ain't a mathematician
    Oct 30, 2011 at 13:21
  • $\begingroup$ I did a test question to understand it. It's true. But I think is better not always edit the people questions or ask them to change their text. I think is better just do a script to run after submission of the question removing $$ or \displaystyle (probably using regex) to changes automatically the titles. Am I wrong? $\endgroup$
    – GarouDan
    Oct 30, 2011 at 14:07
  • 5
    $\begingroup$ It is much easier if people simply do not do that. In fact, pretty much no one does—in part, because including displayed material in titles is simply weird so no one tries to. We will continue to edit people's titles if the do use displays, though: there is absolutely nothing wrong with it and, moreover, this is part of the way this site works. $\endgroup$
    – Mariano Suárez-Álvarez
    Oct 30, 2011 at 14:21
  • $\begingroup$ I was about to edit this question to remove the \displaystyle in order to unclutter the question list, when I noticed that it had just been inserted by Zev Chonoles. Do we lack a solid consensus on this? $\endgroup$
    – hmakholm left over Monica
    Oct 30, 2011 at 16:16
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @HenningMakholm, sometimes equations look too ugly without the \displaystyle declaration. In any case, that does not seem to disturb layout so much. In any case, math in titles should be small in most cases, and in those cases using \displaystyle shoudl be avoided IMO. $\endgroup$
    – Mariano Suárez-Álvarez
    Oct 30, 2011 at 21:07
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @GarouDan: It seems you are feeling a bit put upon because of the comments you got in this question. Keep in mind that I had already mentioned that using displayed equations in the titles "mess up the displays", but after some further issues you went back to a displayed equation. In some circumstances, \displaystyle is okay, but that's as far as you should go. Running scripts is actually more difficult, because it's not as simple as text substitution. $\endgroup$
    – Arturo Magidin
    Oct 31, 2011 at 2:42
  • $\begingroup$ @ArturoMagidin Please see my long text. $\endgroup$
    – GarouDan
    Oct 31, 2011 at 19:44
  • $\begingroup$ @J.M. Please see my long text. $\endgroup$
    – GarouDan
    Oct 31, 2011 at 19:44
  • $\begingroup$ @SrivatsanNarayanan Please see my long text. $\endgroup$
    – GarouDan
    Oct 31, 2011 at 19:44
-3
$\begingroup$

@ArturoMagidin I think you helped me in that time and I appreciate. Thanks very much.

I prefer entire TeX titles, I like enter in questions with this kind of title, but ok.

But it's strange, see my history edit. Take a look in edits before @J.M. edit.

First you edited my question removing $$..$$ and putting \displaystyle, in that moment I don't know why. But was missing f in the equation, so I said I will edit. Than you edit first and wrote a comment.(So just read this comment after, I tryed edit but a message saying you have just edited appeared).

But $_p$ was missing in f too, I'd forgot. So I edited again.

But see the \displaystyle don't belongs my code, I never heard about it before. Than @J.M. edit my code removing this (at this point he thought I put \displaystyle again, (what is obviously wrong) and comment with

Holy everloving... can't you listen?! Don't use \displaystyle in titles!!

I think it's quite rude.

@SrivatsanNarayanan comments too:

**Do not include equations ($$...$$) in the title, please!** Arturo corrected the title to remove the equation, but now it seems you have made it an equation again anyway

I'm new here and I want ask apologize if I did wrong things, but I would like have polite warnings too. Especially if the rebuke was wrong.

$\endgroup$
4
  • $\begingroup$ It's done. Don't do it again, and let's move on. It's not right to be doing the same thing again after you've been told not to. $\endgroup$
    – J. M. ain't a mathematician
    Oct 31, 2011 at 19:51
  • $\begingroup$ That comment was in terms of not using displaystyle (as opposed to the command \displaystyle). The command \displaystyle is so that equations are typeset as if they were displayed equations. So it uses large operators instead of small ones ($\displaystyle \sum$ instead of $\sum$), and puts limits below and above instead of to the side ($\displaystyle\lim_{n\to1}$ instead of $\lim_{n\to 1}$). I kept the $\displaystyle$ so as not to mess up the limits of the summation. What your edit did was go back to displayed equations $$...$$,. $\endgroup$
    – Arturo Magidin
    Oct 31, 2011 at 19:54
  • $\begingroup$ That should be "I kept the \displaystyle so as not to mess up the limits of the summation". $\endgroup$
    – Arturo Magidin
    Oct 31, 2011 at 20:01
  • 9
    $\begingroup$ You may prefer entire TeX titles, but it really is very annoying to others. Please do not do that. $\endgroup$
    – Mariano Suárez-Álvarez
    Oct 31, 2011 at 23:51

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .