# [texhax] vspace around {multline}

Alex Scorpan scorpan at gmail.com
Sun Dec 10 15:18:36 CET 2006

>     I'm noticing that {multline} adds extra vspace around itself.
> What
>     is that space, and can it be killed?
>
> assuming that you're referring to the {multline}
> environment in amsmath, what you need to know is
> that this is display math, and as such always
> begins with \abovedisplay[short]skip.
>
> what may be happening is that you've left a blank
> line (or other paragraph break) before {multline},
> in which case the space will be the sum of the
> display skip and the paragraph skip.  don't put
> a paragraph break before any display math.

Thank you, but that is not quite the space I had in mind.

{multline} adds extra vspace at its beginning, compared to, say,
{align} or regular dipalymath.  It's subtle, but it's there.  Typeset
and compare:

\documentclass{amsart}

\begin{document}

\noindent
Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
\begin{align*}
A=B BBBBBBB BBBBBB&\\
&A=B BBBBBBB BBBBBB
\end{align*}
Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
\begin{multline*}
A=B BBBBBBB BBBBBB\\
A=B BBBBBBB BBBBBB
\end{multline*}
Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

\end{document}

--
Alex