# [OS X TeX] Minipages and altering \mathindent

Don Green Dragon fergdc at shaw.ca
Sat Apr 7 05:44:25 CEST 2012

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



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