Why can I not vertically align the text in the 3rd table column?

Question

I'm trying to make a table which lists some math functions. I've been searching the net on how to center the equations in the cells both vertically and horizontally. And I think I've found an answer to it, except that no matter what I do the equations in the 3rd column won't align, and just stays on the top. I use the array package. What am I doing wrong?

    \begin{table}[H]
    \centering
    \newcolumntype{A}{ >{\centering\arraybackslash} m{1cm} }
    \newcolumntype{B}{ >{\centering\arraybackslash} m{4cm} }
    \newcolumntype{C}{ >{\centering\arraybackslash} m{2cm} }
    \begin{tabular}{|A|B|C|}
    \hline

    $n$ & $a_{n}$ & $\frac{k_{0}^{n}}{n!}a_{0}$ \\[2ex]

    \hline

    1 & $k_{0}a_{0}$ & $\frac{k_{0}^{1}}{1}a_{0}$ \\[2ex]

    \hline

    2 & $\frac{k_{0}}{2}a_{1}=\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$ 
    & $\frac{k_{0}^{2}}{2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$ \\[2ex]

    \hline

    3 & $\frac{k_{0}}{3}a_{2}=\frac{k_{0}}{3}\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$ 
    & $\frac{k_{0}^{3}}{3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$ \\[2ex]

    \hline

    4 & $\frac{k_{0}}{4}a_{3}=\frac{k_{0}}{4}\frac{k_{0}}{3}
    \frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$ 
    & $\frac{k_{0}^{4}}{4 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$ \\[2ex]

    \hline
    \end{tabular}
    \end{table}

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 25 '12 at 03:37

For comparison, I think that ConTeXt provides a cleaner solution in this case.

Use a setup to specify the width of the three columns (width=...), specify that all cells should be horizontally and vertically middle aligned (align={middle,lohi}), and specify that each cell should have a 1ex top and bottom offset (toffset=1ex, boffset=1ex):
```
\startsetups table:align
  \setupTABLE[align={middle,lohi}, toffset=1ex, boffset=1ex]
  \setupTABLE[column][1][width=1cm]
  \setupTABLE[column][2][width=4cm]
  \setupTABLE[column][3][width=2cm]
\stopsetups
```

Then use that setup for the tabular data

\startTABLE[setups={table:align}]
   \NC $n$ \NC $a_{n}$      \NC $\frac{k_{0}^{n}}{n!}a_{0}$                        
   \NC \NR
   \NC 1   \NC $k_{0}a_{0}$ \NC $\frac{k_{0}^{1}}{1}a_{0}$
   \NC \NR
   \NC 2   \NC $\frac{k_{0}}{2}a_{1}=\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$                               
   \NC $\frac{k_{0}^{2}}{2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$
   \NC \NR
   \NC 3   \NC $\frac{k_{0}}{3}a_{2}=\frac{k_{0}}{3}\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$                
   \NC $\frac{k_{0}^{3}}{3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$
   \NC \NR
   \NC 4   \NC $\frac{k_{0}}{4}a_{3}=\frac{k_{0}}{4}\frac{k_{0}}{3} \frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$
   \NC $\frac{k_{0}^{4}}{4 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$
   \NC \NR
\stopTABLE

enter image description here

Mico · Answer 2 · 2017-05-28T19:11:41.940

Given that it would appear that you're trying to make sure that math material is centered vertically, I think it may be a good idea not to insert something like [2ex] of extra vertical whitespace and, instead, insert "math struts" on each of the lines. The following MWE defines a macro named \RTS -- short for "really tall strut" -- that should be inserted somewhere in each row whose height you want to see enlarged.

enter image description here

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array,float}
\newcolumntype{A}{ >{\centering\arraybackslash} p{1cm} }
\newcolumntype{B}{ >{\centering\arraybackslash} p{4cm} }
\newcolumntype{C}{ >{\centering\arraybackslash} p{2cm} }
  % RTS is short for "really tall strut":
\newcommand\RTS{$\vphantom{\int\limits_0^1}$}
\begin{document}
\begin{table}[H]
\centering
\begin{tabular}{|A|B|C|}
\hline
$n$ & $a_{n}$ & $\frac{k_{0}^{n}}{n!}a_{0}$ \RTS \\
\hline
1 
& $k_{0}a_{0}$ 
& $\frac{k_{0}^{1}}{1}a_{0}$ \RTS \\
\hline
2 
& $\frac{k_{0}}{2}a_{1}=\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$ 
& $\frac{k_{0}^{2}}{2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$ \RTS \\
\hline
3 & 
$\frac{k_{0}}{3}a_{2}=\frac{k_{0}}{3}\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$ 
& $\frac{k_{0}^{3}}{3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$ \RTS \\
\hline
4 
& $\frac{k_{0}}{4}a_{3}=\frac{k_{0}}{4}\frac{k_{0}}{3}
\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$ 
& $\frac{k_{0}^{4}}{4 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$ \RTS \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}
\end{document}

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 24 '12 at 19:11

I suspect it isn't your fault...

You can avoid the problem by making sure the m is not on the last column:

enter image description here

Also please always make your questions contain complete documents showing all packages used:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array}
\setlength\extrarowheight{7pt}
\begin{document}
    \centering
    \newcolumntype{A}{ >{\centering\arraybackslash} m{1cm} }
    \newcolumntype{B}{ >{\centering\arraybackslash} m{4cm} }
    \newcolumntype{C}{ >{\centering\arraybackslash} m{2cm} }
    \begin{tabular}{|A|B|C|@{}c@{}}
    \hline

    $n$ & $a_{n}$ & $\frac{k_{0}^{n}}{n!}a_{0}$ &\\[2ex]

    \hline

    1 & $k_{0}a_{0}$ & $\frac{k_{0}^{1}}{1}a_{0}$ &\\[2ex]

    \hline

    2 & $\frac{k_{0}}{2}a_{1}=\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$ 
    & $\frac{k_{0}^{2}}{2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$ &\\[2ex]

    \hline

    3 & $\frac{k_{0}}{3}a_{2}=\frac{k_{0}}{3}\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$ 
    & $\frac{k_{0}^{3}}{3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$ &\\[2ex]

    \hline

    4 & $\frac{k_{0}}{4}a_{3}=\frac{k_{0}}{4}\frac{k_{0}}{3}
    \frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}$ 
    & $\frac{k_{0}^{4}}{4 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0}$ &\\[2ex]

    \hline
    \end{tabular}

\end{document}

Thank you sir :) I will do my best to include everything NeXT time I — Møller, Nov 27 '12 at 18:23
feel free to ask another question with an example showing the problem — David Carlisle, Nov 27 '12 at 20:45

A.Ellett · Answer 4 · 2012-11-25T00:03:00.167

I would use an array environment nested inside an math environment of some sort:

{\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{3}
\[\begin{array}{|l|>{\displaystyle{}}c|>{\displaystyle{}}c|}\hline
    n & a_{n}                                                                        & \frac{k_{0}^{n}}{n!}a_{0}                \\\hline
    1 & k_{0}a_{0}                                                                   & \frac{k_{0}^{1}}{1}a_{0}                 \\\hline
    2 & \frac{k_{0}}{2}a_{1} =\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}                              & \frac{k_{0}^{2}}{2 \cdot 1}a_{0}         \\\hline
    3 & \frac{k_{0}}{3}a_{2}=\frac{k_{0}}{3}\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0}                & \frac{k_{0}^{3}}{3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0} \\\hline
    4 & \frac{k_{0}}{4}a_{3}=\frac{k_{0}}{4}\frac{k_{0}}{3}\frac{k_{0}}{2}k_{0}a_{0} & \frac{k_{0}^{4}}{4 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1}a_{0} \\\hline
\end{array}\]

enter image description here

Ah great! Nice and simple, just the way I like it. Thank you very much — Møller, Nov 27 '12 at 18:21

Why can I not vertically align the text in the 3rd table column?

4 Answers4

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