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I am making a multiple choice problem. (Here, I display two of the choices.) I am trying to plot parabolas using pgfplots. Why is TikZ not compiling my code? I put a % in front of the parabolas that I would like plotted so that TikZ will compile the code.

Also, I would like the picture to be flush against the left margin. I typed \hspace{\fill} after the end of the tikzpicture environment.

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc,angles,positioning,intersections}

\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.11}

\begin{document}


\begin{tikzpicture}
%These four commands give commands to draw a rectangle in which the graphs are to be drawn.
\draw[gray,dashed,line width=0.1pt,name path=top] (-6,4.25) -- (6,4.25);
\draw[gray,dashed,line width=0.1pt,name path=right] (6,0) -- (6,4.25);
\draw[gray,dashed,line width=0.1pt,name path=bottom] (-6,0) -- (6,0);
\draw[gray,dashed,line width=0.1pt,name path=left] (-6,0) -- (-6,4.25);

%These commands place the letters indicating the choices.
\node[left] (a) at (-6,4) {$\mathrm{a.)}$};
\node[left] (b) at (1,4) {$\mathrm{b.)}$};

%These commands place the axes for the graphs.
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (-3.5,4) +(0,0.5cm) node[above right] {$y$} -- (-3.5,1) -- +(0,-0.5cm);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (-5.5,2) +(-0.5cm,0) -- (-1.5,2) -- +(0.5cm,0) node[below right] {$x$};
%\addplot[samples=201,domain=-3.75:-3.25,blue] {-4*(x + 3.5)^(2) + 1.5};

%These commands plot the second parabola on the Cartesian plane.
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (3.5,4) +(0,0.5cm) node[above right] {$y$} -- (3.5,1) -- +(0,-0.5cm);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (1.5,2) +(-0.5cm,0) -- (5.5,2) -- +(0.5cm,0) node[below right] {$x$};
%\addplot[samples=201,domain=-2.75:-2.25,blue] {(x - 3.5)^(2) + 2.5};

\end{tikzpicture}
\hspace{\fill}

\end{document}
user143462
  • 1,039
  • You are missing axisenvironment. Instead of mixing tikz and pgfplots, use only pgfplots to draw every thing –  May 02 '15 at 00:21
  • @Harish Kumar I am going to have five axes, and five parabolas to draw on these axes. – user143462 May 02 '15 at 00:27
  • See page 18 of http://texdoc.net/texmf-dist/doc/latex/pgfplots/pgfplots.pdf to expand on Kumar's advice. I surrounded your addplot commands with axis environments. You then get a plot but you have a scaling/location problem. I suggest that each axis and parabola(plot) be a separate tikz picture environment and use normal LaTeX placement to put the individual pictures in the correct location. – R. Schumacher May 02 '15 at 00:27
  • @R. Schumacher This is close to what I want. How do I get "a.)" at the upper left corner of the first graph. (I think that I want them outside the box.) I looked at the code, and it seems to me that parabolas should be plotted. You have, for example, \addplot {(x - 3.5)^(2) + 2.5};. Why are straight lines plotted? I think the last edit is to remove the surrounding squares. – user143462 May 02 '15 at 00:53

2 Answers2

1

Here is a partial answer. You will need to then put this into your context. Personally, I would build each graphic picture with the standalone class building a 'library' of reusable diagrams. Then I would just use \inputgraphics to place the graphics where needed. But this code answers your question. However, to get the parabolas you will need to properly state the domain and the graphic window. (I leave the math to you.)

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc,angles,positioning,intersections}
\usepackage{adjustbox}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.11}

\begin{document}


a.) \adjustbox{valign=t}{\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=.5]
%These commands plot the second parabola on the Cartesian plane.
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (3.5,4) +(0,0.5cm) node[above right] {$y$} -- (3.5,1) -- +(0,-0.5cm);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (1.5,2) +(-0.5cm,0) -- (5.5,2) -- +(0.5cm,0) node[below right] {$x$};
\begin{axis}[axis lines=none]\addplot[samples=201,domain=-2.75:-2.25,blue] {(x - 3.5)^(2) + 2.5};\end{axis}
% axis lines=none comes from pg 219 of the pgfplots documentation
\end{tikzpicture}}%
%
b.) \adjustbox{valign=t}{\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=.5]
%These commands plot the second parabola on the Cartesian plane.
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (3.5,4) +(0,0.5cm) node[above right] {$y$} -- (3.5,1) -- +(0,-0.5cm);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (1.5,2) +(-0.5cm,0) -- (5.5,2) -- +(0.5cm,0) node[below right] {$x$};
\begin{axis}[axis lines=none]\addplot[samples=201,domain=-2.75:-2.25,blue] {(x - 3.5)^(2) + 2.5};\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}}%
%

c.) \adjustbox{valign=t}{\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=.5]
%These commands plot the second parabola on the Cartesian plane.
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (3.5,4) +(0,0.5cm) node[above right] {$y$} -- (3.5,1) -- +(0,-0.5cm);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (1.5,2) +(-0.5cm,0) -- (5.5,2) -- +(0.5cm,0) node[below right] {$x$};
\begin{axis}[axis lines=none]\addplot[samples=201,domain=-2.75:-2.25,blue] {(x - 3.5)^(2) + 2.5};\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}}%
%
d.) \adjustbox{valign=t}{\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=.5]
%These commands plot the second parabola on the Cartesian plane.
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (3.5,4) +(0,0.5cm) node[above right] {$y$} -- (3.5,1) -- +(0,-0.5cm);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (1.5,2) +(-0.5cm,0) -- (5.5,2) -- +(0.5cm,0) node[below right] {$x$};
\begin{axis}[axis lines=none]\addplot[samples=201,domain=-2.75:-2.25,blue] {(x - 3.5)^(2) + 2.5};\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}}%
%

e.) \adjustbox{valign=t}{\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=.5]
%These commands plot the second parabola on the Cartesian plane.
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (3.5,4) +(0,0.5cm) node[above right] {$y$} -- (3.5,1) -- +(0,-0.5cm);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (1.5,2) +(-0.5cm,0) -- (5.5,2) -- +(0.5cm,0) node[below right] {$x$};
\begin{axis}[axis lines=none]\addplot[samples=201,domain=-2.75:-2.25,blue] {(x - 3.5)^(2) + 2.5};\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}}


\hspace{\fill}

\end{document}

enter image description here

R. Schumacher
  • 9,895
  • Thanks. Yes, I will get the domains of the functions correct. How do I get rid of the surrounding square and the tick marks? In fact, what command got the squares to be plotted? – user143462 May 02 '15 at 00:57
  • 1
    @user143462 put hide axis in \begin{axis}[hide axis]... –  May 02 '15 at 01:05
  • 1
    Either 'hide axis' or 'axis lines=none' work in the options for '\begin{axis}' – R. Schumacher May 02 '15 at 01:10
  • @user143462 For more very useful tikz-pgfplots go here http://pgfplots.sourceforge.net/gallery.html – R. Schumacher May 02 '15 at 01:32
  • @R. Schumacher I did go to the web site that you suggested. I saw an alternate code that should be able to plot the graphs in an array without using any additional package. As this will get me familiar with the options of the axis environment, I would like to get an identical display using this alternate code. Please see my other post at "Not able to plot parabolas in an array." – user143462 May 02 '15 at 14:00
0

Here is a two column enumerate like environment using tasks package.

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.11}
\usepackage[more]{tasks}
\NewTasks[style=enumerate,counter-format=tsk[a]),label-width=1em,item-indent = 1em,column-sep =2em,after-item-skip =3ex]{choices}[\choice](2)
\begin{document}
\begin{choices}
\choice
\begin{tikzpicture}[baseline=(current bounding box.north)]
\begin{axis}[hide axis,width=0.4\textwidth,clip=false]
\addplot[samples=201,domain=-3.75:-3.25,blue] {-4*(x + 3.5)^(2) + 1.5};
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -3.5, 1.55) node[below right] {$y$} -- (axis cs: -3.5, 1.25);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -3.85, 1.35) -- (axis cs: -3.15, 1.35) node[below right] {$x$};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\choice
\begin{tikzpicture}[baseline=(current bounding box.north)]
\begin{axis}[hide axis,width=0.4\textwidth,clip=false]
\addplot[samples=201,domain=-2.75:-2.25,blue] {(x - 3.5)^(2) + 2.5};
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -2.5, 42.75) node[below right] {$y$} -- (axis cs: -2.5, 35.55);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -2.85, 38) -- (axis cs: -2.15, 38) node[below right] {$x$};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\choice
\begin{tikzpicture}[baseline=(current bounding box.north)]
\begin{axis}[hide axis,width=0.4\textwidth,clip=false]
\addplot[samples=201,domain=-3.75:-3.25,blue] {-4*(x + 3.5)^(2) + 1.5};
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -3.5, 1.55) node[below right] {$y$} -- (axis cs: -3.5, 1.25);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -3.85, 1.35) -- (axis cs: -3.15, 1.35) node[below right] {$x$};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\choice
\begin{tikzpicture}[baseline=(current bounding box.north)]
\begin{axis}[hide axis,width=0.4\textwidth,clip=false]
\addplot[samples=201,domain=-2.75:-2.25,blue] {(x - 3.5)^(2) + 2.5};
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -2.5, 42.75) node[below right] {$y$} -- (axis cs: -2.5, 35.55);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -2.85, 38) -- (axis cs: -2.15, 38) node[below right] {$x$};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\choice
\begin{tikzpicture}[baseline=(current bounding box.north)]
\begin{axis}[hide axis,width=0.4\textwidth,clip=false]
\addplot[samples=201,domain=-3.75:-3.25,blue] {-4*(x + 3.5)^(2) + 1.5};
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -3.5, 1.55) node[below right] {$y$} -- (axis cs: -3.5, 1.25);
\draw[draw=gray!30,latex-latex] (axis cs: -3.85, 1.35) -- (axis cs: -3.15, 1.35) node[below right] {$x$};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{choices}
\end{document}

enter image description here