[latexrefman-discuss] Discretionary multiplication sign

[Vincent Belaïche]

Hello,

In node « Math miscellany », it is mentioned that « \* » produces a
« discretionary » multiplication symbol. I tried the following example
to see what it looks like (between B and E at the very end of formula):

--8<----8<----8<----8<----8<-- begin -->8---->8---->8---->8---->8----
\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}
\[A \times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times
B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times
B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times
B\times B \* E \]
\end{document}
--8<----8<----8<----8<----8<--  end  -->8---->8---->8---->8---->8----

but:

- despite the overfull hbox there is not any line break

- there is not any explicit multiplication symbol as such between B and
  E.

- not clear what « at which » means, is that immediately _before_ or
  immediately _after_ the symbol that a line break is allowed

Ok « discretionary » means that LaTeX is free to decide about something
--- but it is not clear either exactly what is in the discretion of
LaTeX, is that to produce or not an explicit symbol, or is that to make
or not a line break. As far as I can understand, « discretionary symbol
» would mean that the symbol is either produced or not...

I made this other experiment:

--8<----8<----8<----8<----8<-- begin -->8---->8---->8---->8---->8----
\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}
\noindent\(A \times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B \* E \)

\noindent\(A \times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B\times B \* E \)
\end{document}
--8<----8<----8<----8<----8<--  end  -->8---->8---->8---->8---->8----

Here I am using in-line math, not display math, and between the first
and the second paragraph there is only one more B factor. There is a
line break only in the 2nd paragraph, but not between B and E, and still
not any explicit symbol.

Any clarification welcome --- impossible to translate something that you
can't understand in the first place :-/

VBR,
	Vincent