How to print out equations in Mathematica

Question

How do I define that a formula should not be computed, but rather displayed in Traditional format? Here are 2 examples, where the first one is displayed like I want it, but the second one is simplified.

Print["5. ", Limit[f[x]/g[x], x -> a], "=", Limit[f[x], x -> a]/Limit[g[x], x -> a], ", where ", Limit[g[x], x -> a] != 0];
Print["7. ", Limit[c, x -> a], "=", c]

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 12 '10 at 15:47

5

Use HoldForm to print an expression without evaluating it.

Print["7. ", HoldForm[Limit[c, x -> a]], "=", c]
(* /*        ^^^^^^^^                      */ *)

answered Oct 12 '10 at 15:47

kennytm

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Might want to add 'TraditionalForm` to print the way Margus requested – Sjoerd C. de Vries Jan 02 '12 at 21:53

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 12 '10 at 15:57

It depends a little bit on exactly what you want to do, but if you're just writing text, don't use Print. Instead, enter the text directly, making sure you are using a Text cell and not an Input cell. In the menu, select:

Format -> Style -> Text

Then type out what you want, like:

5. Limit[f[x]/g[x], x -> a] == Limit[f[x], x->a]/Limit[g[x], x -> a] where ...

Select the expression you want to convert to TraditionalForm and then in the menu again, select:

Cell -> ConvertTo -> TraditionalForm

... and you should get something like this:

You might also find the screencast on typesetting useful: http://www.wolfram.com/broadcast/screencasts/howtoentermathematicaltypesetting/

If you're actually trying to produce TraditionalForm output programmatically (e.g., with Print) you might consider using Row and TraditionalForm with HoldForm:

Print[Row[{
   "5. ",
    TraditionalForm[HoldForm[
     Limit[f[x]/g[x], x -> a] == Limit[f[x], x -> a]/Limit[g[x], x -> a]]],
   " where ..."
   }]]

This workshop from the 2011 Wolfram Tech Conference might be useful too: http://library.wolfram.com/infocenter/Conferences/8010/ — Sjoerd C. de Vries, Jan 02 '12 at 21:56

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 12 '10 at 15:57

If I undestand you correctly -- you don't want Limit[c, x -> a] to be evaluated. Standart way to stop something from evaluation is to use "Hold".

  Print["7. ", Hold[Limit[c, x -> a]], "=", c]

But the result is not good:

  7. Hold[Limit[c, x -> a]] = c

The HoldForm command does the trick -- it holds evaluation but doesn't show up:

  Print["7. ", HoldForm[Limit[c, x -> a]], "=", c]
  7. Limit[c, x -> a] = c

How to print out equations in Mathematica

3 Answers3