[OS X TeX] \makebox{} Ignorance

[Manfred Braun]

On 29.01.2012, at 14:23, Charlie Ros5e wrote:

> Gentlefolk,
> 
> I want to produce the following lines in a document:
> 
> 4. Given the graph of the polynomial function f
>    a. What is the minimum degree this polynomial can have?
> 
>    b. Find a possible formula for f(x).
> 
> But I also want to have a graphic of a polynomial placed to the right of this text. I've never used \makebox{} before but it seemed to be the thing I need. I thought I could put two \makebox{} commands on the same line (with their widths chosen wisely), put the code for the problem statement shown above into the first \makebox{} and the code to display the graphic in the second \makebox{}. Doesn't work. The text of the problem statement gets put into a single line, and I can't figure out how to break it into the multiple lines I need.
> 
> Questions:
> 
> 1. Is \makebox{} even the command I need for this application? 

no!

> 
>        If no, what *should* I use?

\begin{minipage}[t]{5cm}
  your text
\end{minipage}\hfill
\begin{minipage}[t]{7cm}
  your figure
\end{minipage}

the option [t] makes the minipages top aligned, if this is wanted.
____________________________________________
> 
> Charlie Rose
> Boulder, Colorado, USA
> Oberaudorf, Deutschland

Manfred Braun
Kempen, Deutschland
Tallinn, Estonia