If you’ve ever worked with LaTeX and wondered how to seamlessly put the absolute value symbol into your documents, you’re in the right place. This blog post will explore various methods and commands to include the absolute value symbol in your LaTeX documents.
Method 1: Absolute Value Symbol
The most common method to display an absolute value (or modulus symbol) in LaTeX is by enclosing the number, variable, or expression with two vertical lines, represented as |.
For Example:
$ |x - 3| = 1 $For those who prefer keyboard shortcuts, the absolute value symbol can be accessed by pressing Alt + 124. Hold down the Alt key and type 124 to insert the | symbol.
Let us take an example.
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Consider the mathematical expression $ |x - 3| = 1 $, where $x$ is a variable.
\end{document}Output
Method 2: Using Left Vertical and Right Vertical Commands
An alternative method involves using the \lvert and \rvert commands. These commands, however, require the inclusion of the amsmath package. Here’s an example:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
Consider the mathematical expression $\lvert y - 3 \rvert = 1 $, where $y$ is a variable.
\end{document}Output
This produces the same output as the standard method but provides additional customization.
Method 3: Using Mid Command
Another option is the \mid command, which introduces larger spaces between the modulus symbol and other characters. Here’s an example:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
Consider the mathematical expression $\mid z - 3 \mid = 1 $, where $z$ is a variable.
\end{document}Output
Choose the method that best suits your document’s aesthetic and functional requirements.
How to write Big Absolute Value Symbol in LaTeX?
For scenarios where you need a larger vertical line for the absolute value symbol, LaTeX offers several commands. The table below illustrates different commands and their corresponding outputs:
1. Using ‘|’ symbol
$|\frac{a^2+b^2}{4}|$For example
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Consider the mathematical expression $|\frac{x^2+y^2}{4}|$, where $x$ and $y$ are variables.
\end{document}Output
2. Using ‘\right’ and ‘\left’ commands
$\left| \frac{a^2+b^2}{4} \right|$For example
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Consider the mathematical expression $\left| \frac{a^2+b^2}{4} \right|$, where $x$ and $y$ are variables.
\end{document}Output
3. Using ‘\big’ command
$\big | \frac{a^2+b^2}{4} \big |$For example
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Consider the mathematical expression $\big | \frac{a^2+b^2}{4} \big |$, where $x$ and $y$ are variables.
\end{document}Output
4. Using ‘\bigg’ command
$\bigg | \frac{a^2+b^2}{4} \bigg |$For example
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Consider the mathematical expression $\bigg | \frac{a^2+b^2}{4} \bigg |$, where $x$ and $y$ are variables.
\end{document}Output
5. Using ‘\Bigg’ command
$\Bigg | \frac{a^2+b^2}{4} \Bigg |$For example
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Consider the mathematical expression $\Bigg | \frac{a^2+b^2}{4} \Bigg |$, where $x$ and $y$ are variables.
\end{document}Output
The above examples showcase different sizes of absolute value symbols using different commands.
