### tex >> blank space in matrix column

Dear colisters,

If I write
$\left ( \begin{smallmatrix}x_1 \\ \vdots \\ x_n \end{smallmatrix} \right )$, a blank space appears between x_1 and the dots. Is there
a way to avoid this?

Thanks.

HC

### tex >> blank space in matrix column

This vertical space seems to be part of the LaTeX \vdots definition. For
correction you could e. g. write:

\begin{smallmatrix}x_1 \\[-6pt] \vdots \\ x_n \end{smallmatrix}

Greetings Hartmut
--
Hartmut Henkel, Oftersheim, Germany

### tex >> blank space in matrix column

On 25 Sep 2003 12:48:58 -0700, XXXX@XXXXX.COM (Hendrik

[You forgot to write that amsmath is needed to compile this.]

There are really two problems: the \vdots command doesn't adjust
its size even when font size is changed. This can be fixed with
mathdots.sty.

The other is the space at the top of the \vdots, which is
unfortunately built-in to the definition. The best one can do
for now is negate some of it with \\[-3pt] (or whatever). \smallmatrix
is a special environment with smaller than normal \baselineskip.
\vdots is designed to appear roughly centered between the bottom of
the line above and the top of the line below. It pretty much counts on
the \baselineskip being normal (and the lines surrounding it not
containing anything too deep or too tall).

Dan

--
Dan Luecking Department of Mathematical Sciences
University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
luecking at uark dot edu

### tex >> blank space in matrix column

Hartmut, Dan

Thanks a lot.
[-6pt] does not change much, but [-10pt] does the job. However, it
would be nice if Dan's package could get the dots a bit closer to
eachother.
The mathdots package does not seem to be part of Gerben's
distribution, as I get an error message. And, if I am not mistaken, it
is not on CTAN.org.
Where can I find it?
Thanks a lot.

HC

### tex >> blank space in matrix column

Dan,

Thanks for making available mathdots.sty.

HC

### tex >> blank space in matrix column

use

http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/help/Catalogue/alpha.html

--

/daleif (remove RTFSIGNATURE from email address)

LaTeX FAQ: http://www.tex.ac.uk/faq
AMSMATH Intro: http://www.ams.org/tex/short-math-guide.html
LaTeX Intro: http://people.ee.ethz.ch/ ~oetiker/lshort/lshort.pdf
Graphics Intro: http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/epslatex.pdf
Remember to post minimal working examples.

How can one make a column actually span multiple columns?

I have an orderly matrix where one element per columns/row except in some
cases where a row consists of an element that should span multiple columns.

e.g., I might want to display the matrix of integers but for some rows I
want to just display a text string that takes up the whole row. (this is
just an example, I know I could just use multiple matrices to do that which
I don't want to do here because it clutters up everything)



I have a 14x14 matrix which is too wide to be put into one column in a
two-column typesetting. I wonder how to get around this problem
without having to breaking the matrix into two 14x7 matrices. Thanks.