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LaTeX

Information on the open source formatting and typesetting program LaTeX.

What is LaTeX?

LaTeX (pronounced "lah-TEK") is an open source document typesetting program.  Users write in a markup language to describe how a document looks, then LaTeX applies the formatting based on those commands.

Commonly used when writing journal papers, theses, or dissertations, LaTeX can easily typeset mathematical equations, cross-reference figures, or change formatting from one column to two with a single argument.

 

Getting Started

You can download and install LaTeX to run on your personal machine, but the easiest way to get up and running quickly is to use a real-time online editor such as Overleaf.

Use your @iastate.edu email address to get an upgraded Professional account, with more storage and additional features.

Type LaTeX code on the left, get live compiled output on the right.

image showcasing overleaf document generation