3

I used code found here to create my own long division of a generalized polynomial.

enter image description here

As you can see, there is some vertical alignment problem when subscripts and superscripts are combined. My code is listed below. Could anyone lend a hand?

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{array}

\newcommand{\x}[1]{\multicolumn{1}{|r}{#1}}

\begin{document}

\[
\renewcommand\arraystretch{1.2}% specify the vertical stretch
\begin{array}{*{5}{>{\hfill}m{8.5mm}}}%specify the column width
&
    &
            1&
                1&
                    0\\\cline{2-5}
$x \,- \, u$&  
   \x${f_{n-1}x^{n-1}}$&
                $f_{n-2}$&
                    ${f_{n-3}x^{n-3}}$&
                        1\\
&
  a&
            -1&
                &
                    \\\cline{2-4}
&
   &
            1&
                -1&
                    \\
&
   &
            1&
                -1&
                    \\\cline{3-5}
&
   &
            &
                &
                    1\\
\end{array}
\]
\end{document}
Community
  • 1
user879559
  • 31
  • 1
    eek put those -1 into math mode:-) (but they woul dbe in math mode automatically had you not forced the column widths with m but why do that rather than leave the columns natural width? – David Carlisle Oct 08 '15 at 12:43
  • Please always make your examples complete documents that show the problem. I tried adding \documentclass etc to this but got ! Undefined control sequence. l.15 \x You could edit the example to make it a full error-free document. – David Carlisle Oct 08 '15 at 12:46
  • I mean, I linked the code I copied from... but I'm not very familiar with arrays, so I have no idea whether or not fixed width is better. In the link I included at the top of my post, I believe it's because that's what OP requested. – user879559 Oct 08 '15 at 12:51
  • A search of the site will reveal a lot of questions (and answers) regarding long division. – Steven B. Segletes Oct 08 '15 at 13:12

1 Answers1

3

You don't want fixed width columns here, and definitely not m. Also all the entries should be in math mode (the -1 with a hyphen rather than a minus sign was too painful:-)

Something like

enter image description here

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array}

\begin{document}

\[
\renewcommand\arraystretch{1.2}% specify the vertical stretch
\setlength\extrarowheight{2pt}
%
\begin{array}{*{5}{r}}%Don'tspecify the column width
&
    &
            1&
                1&
                    0\\\cline{2-5}
\multicolumn{1}{r|}{x -  u}&  
   f_{n-1}x^{n-1}&
                f_{n-2}&
                    f_{n-3}x^{n-3}&
                        1\\
&
  a&
            -1&
                &
                    \\\cline{2-4}
&
   &
            1&
                -1&
                    \\
&
   &
            1&
                -1&
                    \\\cline{3-5}
&
   &
            &
                &
                    1\\
\end{array}
\]

\end{document}
David Carlisle
  • 757,742
  • 1
    your minus signs have binary, not unary, spacing. and it would really look better if the 1s lined up nicely. (you'll have to earn your +1.) – barbara beeton Oct 08 '15 at 14:18
  • @barbarabeeton hmm that's what the >{{}} was for I thought it was a polynomial expression with alignment points but I see now that the OP has omited the +/- so the body is really a list of terms not written as a polynomial so the >{{}} is not appropriate I'll remove in a bit... – David Carlisle Oct 08 '15 at 14:45
  • @barbarabeeton betterer than it were? – David Carlisle Oct 08 '15 at 14:50
  • oh, lots betterer! i like it now. (recognized by deserved upvote.) see -- that's why i'm the editor; i notice the discrepancies. – barbara beeton Oct 08 '15 at 16:34