Centering a batch of columns with respect to larger multicolumn cell above them

Question

In the table above, the three columns below the multicolumn are smaller and are aligned to the left. However, I want them to be vertically centered with respect to the largest multicolumn above them as follows

\documentclass{book}

    \usepackage[x11names]{xcolor}

    \usepackage[a4paper]{geometry}

        \geometry{twoside=true, showframe=false}

        % Horizontal
        \geometry{inner=5mm, outer=5mm, includemp=true, bindingoffset=5mm, marginparsep=3.5mm, marginparwidth=15mm}

        % Vertical
        \geometry{top=20mm, vmarginratio=3:5, includehead=true, includefoot=true, headheight=8pt, headsep=14pt, footskip=5mm}

    \usepackage{ragged2e}


    \usepackage{tabularx}

        \newcolumntype{C}{ >{\arraybackslash \Centering}X }

    \usepackage{booktabs}
    \usepackage{makecell}

    \usepackage{mathtools}



\begin{document}

\begin{table*}[htb]

    % Center the table
    \centering

    \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{*{3}{l} >{\hsize=0.75\hsize}C !{\vrule width 0.25mm}*{3}{l} >{\hsize=0.75\hsize}C !{\vrule width 0.25mm}>{\hsize=1.5\hsize}C}

        \toprule

        \multicolumn{3}{c}{Exhaustive Search Method} & & \multicolumn{3}{c}{Proposed Method} & &
        \\
        \Xhline{0.25mm}

        \multicolumn{3}{c}{Combination of POIs} & $\mathit{SDSCR_{min}}$ & \multicolumn{3}{c}{Combination of POIs} & $\mathit{SDSCR_{min}}$ & Reference POIs
        \\
        \Xhline{0.25mm}

        33 & 36 & 35 & 4.90 & 33 & 36 & 35 & 4.90 & 36
        \\

        34 & 33 & 35 & 5.23 & 34 & 33 & 35 & 5.23 & 34
        \\

        11 & 5 & 31 & 5.63 & 11 & 5 & 31 & 5.63 & 11
        \\

        33 & 14 & 35 & 5.73 & 33 & 14 & 35 & 5.73 & 31
        \\

        14 & 5 & 31 & 5.76 & 14 & 5 & 31 & 5.76 & 14
        \\
        \Xhline{0.25mm}

        \multicolumn{3}{c}{\color{DodgerBlue2} \bfseries Time 8.8 s} & & \multicolumn{3}{c}{\color{DodgerBlue2} \bfseries Time 0.46 s} & &
        \\

        \bottomrule


    \end{tabularx}

\end{table*}

\end{document}

Probably interesting: Table column widths disproportionate due to multicolumn cell being too long — leandriis, May 22 '19 at 14:27

Mico · Answer 1 · 2020-03-14T21:32:19.413

Something like this?

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage[x11names]{xcolor}
\usepackage[a4paper,twoside]{geometry}
\geometry{inner=5mm, outer=5mm, includemp=true,
          bindingoffset=5mm, marginparsep=3.5mm, 
          marginparwidth=15mm,
          top=20mm, vmarginratio=3:5, includeheadfoot, 
          headheight=8pt, headsep=14pt, footskip=5mm}

\usepackage{ragged2e,tabularx}
\newcolumntype{C}{ >{\arraybackslash\Centering}X }
\usepackage{booktabs,makecell,mathtools}

\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htb]
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{@{} 
   *{2}{*{3}{>{\hsize=0.9\hsize\linewidth=\hsize}C} 
             >{\hsize=1.3\hsize\linewidth=\hsize}C} 
   c @{}}
\toprule
\multicolumn{4}{@{}c}{Exhaustive Search Method}  & 
\multicolumn{4}{c}{Proposed Method} & 
Reference POIs\\
\cmidrule(r){1-4} \cmidrule(lr){5-8}
\multicolumn{3}{@{}c}{Combination of POIs} & $\mathit{SDSCR}_{\min}$ & 
\multicolumn{3}{c}{Combination of POIs} & $\mathit{SDSCR}_{\min}$ & \\
\cmidrule(r){1-3}  \cmidrule(lr){4-4}
\cmidrule(lr){5-7} \cmidrule(lr){8-8}
\cmidrule(l){9-9}
33 & 36 & 35 & 4.90 & 33 & 36 & 35 & 4.90 & 36 \\
34 & 33 & 35 & 5.23 & 34 & 33 & 35 & 5.23 & 34 \\
11 &  5 & 31 & 5.63 & 11 &  5 & 31 & 5.63 & 11 \\
33 & 14 & 35 & 5.73 & 33 & 14 & 35 & 5.73 & 31 \\
14 &  5 & 31 & 5.76 & 14 &  5 & 31 & 5.76 & 14 \\
\cmidrule(r){1-3} \cmidrule(lr){5-7}
\multicolumn{3}{c}{\color{DodgerBlue2}\bfseries Time 8.8\,s} & & 
\multicolumn{3}{c}{\color{DodgerBlue2}\bfseries Time 0.46\,s} & & \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabularx}

\end{table}

\end{document}

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered May 22 '19 at 14:56

You're quite lucky with this table: setting the long header at zero width solves the issue.

I'd avoid vertical rules altogether and use siunitx for better alignment of the figures.

\documentclass{book}

\usepackage[a4paper]{geometry}
\usepackage[x11names]{xcolor}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{makecell}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\usepackage{siunitx}

\geometry{
  % General
  twoside=true,
  showframe=false,
  % Horizontal
  inner=5mm,
  outer=5mm,
  includemp=true,
  bindingoffset=5mm,
  marginparsep=3.5mm,
  marginparwidth=15mm,
  % Vertical
  top=20mm,
  vmarginratio=3:5,
  includehead=true,
  includefoot=true,
  headheight=8pt,
  headsep=14pt,
  footskip=5mm,
}

\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htb]

% Center the table
\centering

\begin{tabular*}{\textwidth}{
  @{\extracolsep{\fill}}
  S[table-format=2.0]
  S[table-format=2.0]
  S[table-format=2.0]
  S[table-format=1.2]
  S[table-format=2.0]
  S[table-format=2.0]
  S[table-format=2.0]
  S[table-format=1.2]
  S[table-format=2.0]
  @{}
}
\toprule

\multicolumn{4}{@{}c}{Exhaustive Search Method} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{Proposed Method} \\
\cmidrule(r){1-4}\cmidrule(lr){5-8}
\multicolumn{3}{@{}c}{\makebox[0pt]{Combination of POIs}} & $\mathit{SDSCR}_{\min}$ &
\multicolumn{3}{c}{\makebox[0pt]{Combination of POIs}} & $\mathit{SDSCR}_{\min}$ &
{Reference POIs} \\
\midrule

33 & 36 & 35 & 4.90 & 33 & 36 & 35 & 4.90 & 36 \\
34 & 33 & 35 & 5.23 & 34 & 33 & 35 & 5.23 & 34 \\
11 &  5 & 31 & 5.63 & 11 &  5 & 31 & 5.63 & 11 \\
33 & 14 & 35 & 5.73 & 33 & 14 & 35 & 5.73 & 31 \\
14 &  5 & 31 & 5.76 & 14 &  5 & 31 & 5.76 & 14 \\
\midrule

\multicolumn{3}{@{}c}{\color{DodgerBlue2}\bfseries Time \SI{8.8}{s}} &&
\multicolumn{3}{c}{\color{DodgerBlue2}\bfseries Time \SI{0.46}{s}} \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular*}

\end{table}

\end{document}

AboAmmar · Answer 3 · 2019-05-22T17:35:00.313

Since the culprit is the length of the multicolumn headers, I'd simply abbreviate these and mention the full description in the caption text. Thus, a simple tabular could be used with standard alignments r, c.

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage[x11names]{xcolor}
\usepackage[a4paper]{geometry}
\geometry{twoside=true, showframe=false}

% Horizontal
\geometry{inner=5mm, outer=5mm, includemp=true, bindingoffset=5mm, marginparsep=3.5mm, marginparwidth=15mm}

% Vertical
\geometry{top=20mm, vmarginratio=3:5, includehead=true, includefoot=true, headheight=8pt, headsep=14pt, footskip=5mm}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{makecell}
\usepackage{mathtools}

\begin{document}

\begin{table*}[htb]
    % Center the table
    \centering
    \begin{tabular}{*3{r}c*3{r}cc}
        \toprule
        \multicolumn{4}{c}{Exhaustive Search Method} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{Proposed Method} & \\
        \cmidrule(r){1-4}\cmidrule(lr){5-8}
        \multicolumn{3}{c}{Comb.\ POIs} & $\mathit{SDSCR_{\min}}$ & \multicolumn{3}{c}{Comb.\ POIs} & $\mathit{SDSCR_{\min}}$ & Ref.\ POIs        \\  \midrule
        33 & 36 & 35 & 4.90 & 33 & 36 & 35 & 4.90 & 36 \\
        34 & 33 & 35 & 5.23 & 34 & 33 & 35 & 5.23 & 34 \\
        11 & 5  & 31 & 5.63 & 11 & 5  & 31 & 5.63 & 11 \\
        33 & 14 & 35 & 5.73 & 33 & 14 & 35 & 5.73 & 31 \\
        14 & 5  & 31 & 5.76 & 14 & 5 & 31 & 5.76 & 14  \\ \midrule
        \multicolumn{3}{c}{\color{DodgerBlue2} \bfseries Time 8.8 s} & & \multicolumn{3}{c}{\color{DodgerBlue2} \bfseries Time 0.46 s} & & \\ \bottomrule
    \end{tabular}
\end{table*}

\end{document}

Centering a batch of columns with respect to larger multicolumn cell above them

3 Answers3