[OS X TeX] Minipages and altering \mathindent

[Don Green Dragon]

Hello Ross,


On 04Apr2012, at 9:51 PM, Ross Moore wrote:

> Hi Don,
> 
> On 05/04/2012, at 1:37 PM, Don Green Dragon wrote:
> 
>> Hi All,
>> 
>> In an attempt to place three minipages on a single line, I was thwarted by the large indent that the environment 
>> 
>> \begin{align*} ... \end{align*}
>> 
>> imposes. So I applied the command
>> 
>> (A)	\setlength{\mathindent}{0pt}
>> 
>> and subsequently matters worked out nicely. However, I did not want to maintain the setting (A) since that could interfere with who know what, so I commented (A) out and issued
>> 
>> (B)	\the\mathindent
>> 
>> and the reply from (B) was
>> 
>> (C)	39.37506pt minus 39.37506pt
>> 
>> Therefore, after the minipage code I reset with
>> 
>> (D)	\setlength{\mathindent}{39.37506pt}
> 
> Just do:
> 
>    \setlength{\mathindent}{39.37506pt minus 39.37506pt}

Done!  :-)


>> However, upon reissuing the command in (B) the response was
>> 
>> (E)	39.37506pt
>> 
>> which differs from response (C). Is the difference significant?
> 
> Yes, it is.
> 
>> I don't really understand reply (C).
> 
> The length need not be exact, but apply to a whole range
> of possible values.
> 
>   39.37506pt minus 39.37506pt
> 
> means the range from  0 to 39.37506pt  as required,
> but favouring the longer end.
> 
> So an indent of 39.37506pt  is used, unless the contents
> of the environment doesn't allow this much, in which case
> it will be less, but as much as is needed to still fit the page.
> 
> Only when the amount of room is negative --- that is, the
> contents are just way too wide, does TeX start to complain.

Very good. Got it!


> Many lengths in (La)TeX are such "rubber lengths".

Yes.


> Hope this helps,

Yes it does.  :-)  Have been able to produce the neatest displays using minipages of late. TeX continues to amaze.  
Thanks.


Don Green Dragon
fergdc at Shaw.ca