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Is it necessary to load the amssymb package when using the amsmath package? Stated another way, is amssymb redundant when one calls

\usepackage{amsmath,amsthm,amsxtra} 
\usepackage{mathtools}

Alternatively, is it better to perform this as follows?

\usepackage{amsmath,amsthm,amssymb,amsxtra} 
\usepackage{mathtools}
Coby Viner
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Lambert
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    amssymb provides additional symbols that aren't "named" in amsfonts; it is not redundant. However, since you are loading mathtools, that loads amsmath, and you have made amsmath redundant. – barbara beeton May 02 '22 at 02:25
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    @A.Ellett -- Here's what happens with these packages. amssymb loads amsfonts, but neither is loaded by amsmath. mathtools loads amsmath and provides additions to that package. All of amsmath, amssymb and amsfonts are "protected" against being loaded twice; I haven't checked mathtools, but it probably is too. Still, it's not recommended to load any package twice. – barbara beeton May 02 '22 at 02:55
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    Note that it is important to load amsmath before amsthm (or mathtools). See this question. – Sandy G May 02 '22 at 03:31
  • I am using overleaf. If amsmath is not loaded but mathtools is, the \qedhere command does not work in a gather* environment. – Jay Aug 13 '22 at 12:07
  • @Jar that comment does not really have anything to do with this question. \qedhere is not provided by amsmath nor mathtools it's defined in amsthm which needs to be loaded separately. Note that classes like amsart loads it automatically – daleif Aug 13 '22 at 14:56

1 Answers1

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No, amssymb is not redundant with the other packages in your MWE. It sets up a number of other math fonts and symbols. Because its names for those fonts and symbols have become so standard, many other packages either load amssymb automatically, or provide their own version of the same symbols.

In contrast, amsmath sets up a large number of typesetting command, but does not change the fonts, amsthm sets up commands for theorems, and amsxtra sets up some rarely-used commands for backward compatibility. Finally, mathtools extends amsmath with additional commands.

If you do not need amssymb because you are loading different math fonts, you do probably want to take it out. The AMS fonts use up several of the sixteen math alphabets legacy 8-bit TeX allows you. Trying to load more math alphabets than that could cause your document to fail, on some TeX engines.

Davislor
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