TeX and LaTeX References
TeX is a typesetting system that was developed by the computer
scientist Donald Knuth of Stanford. To make it easier to use, a
very extensive set of TeX macros, known as LaTeX, have been
developed. Versions of it are used widely, if not exclusively,
for word processing in math and physics. In part, this stems from
the ease in which one can type equations. In addition, LaTeX has
an interesting philosophy: you design the logical structure of the
document, and LaTex handles the physical output. This makes a
number of things easier. For instance, if you wish to add a
section, you don't have to retype all the other section numbers;
LaTeX handles this automatically. Or, if you decide to change the
presentation style of equations, you can make the change in one
place, rather than equation by equation.
For TeX, let me cite two references. The first one is the classic,
while the second one contains information on the huge number of macros
and ancillary programs for TeX.
The TeXbook, Donald Knuth, Addison Wesley, 1984, ISBN 0-201-13447-0,
paperback 0-201-13448-9
Making TeX Work, Norman Walsh, O'Reilly and Associates, 1994,
ISBN 1-56592-051-1.
For LaTex, let me also give two references. The first is the
second edition of the classic LaTeX reference. It covers the new
version of LaTeX, LaTeX2e. To be honest, I often find its
technical appendix to be of more use than the chapters. The second
reference is designed as a very detailed companion for the first.
LaTeX, a Document Preparation System, 2nd ed., Leslie Lamport, Addison
Wesley, 1994, ISBN 0-201-52983-1
The LaTeX Companion, Michel Gossens, Frank Mittelbach, and Alexander
Samarin, Addison-Wesley, 1994, ISBN 0-201-54199-8.
Finally, the following URL is for the "TeX Users Group"
(TUG), which offers a wealth of information on TeX and LaTeX.
http://www.tug.org/
