I was expecting a ',' or a '}' error in compiling bibliography

Question

I am trying to compile the following bib file:

   @article {Conway10612,
    author = {Conway, J. H. and Torquato, S.},
    title = {Packing, tiling, and covering with tetrahedra},
    volume = {103},
    number = {28},
    pages = {10612--10617},
    year = {2006},
    doi = {10.1073/pnas.0601389103},
    publisher = {National Academy of Sciences},
    abstract = {It is well known that three-dimensional Euclidean space cannot be tiled by regular tetrahedra. But how well can we do? In this work, we give several constructions that may answer the various senses of this question. In so doing, we provide some solutions to packing, tiling, and covering problems of tetrahedra. Our results suggest that the regular tetrahedron may not be able to pack as densely as the sphere, which would contradict a conjecture of Ulam. The regular tetrahedron might even be the convex body having the smallest possible packing density.},
    issn = {0027-8424},
    URL = {https://www.pnas.org/content/103/28/10612},
    eprint = {https://www.pnas.org/content/103/28/10612.full.pdf},
    journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}
}
@book{cite-key,
    Address = {New York},
    Annote = {Bibliography: p. {$[$}335{$]$}-336.},
    Author = {Rudin, Walter},
    Date-Added = {2020-11-10 00:19:08 -0500},
    Date-Modified = {2020-11-10 00:19:08 -0500},
    Et = {3d ed..},
    Id = {01HOLLINS{_}ALMA2160070510003751},
    Keywords = {Mathematical analysis},
    Publisher = {New York : McGraw-Hill},
    Title = {Principles of mathematical analysis},
    Ty = {BOOK},
    Year = {1976}
    }
@misc{wolfram blog, 
    title={Tetrahedra Packing}, url={https://blog.wolfram.com/2010/08/30/tetrahedra-packing/}, 
    journal={Wolfram Blog}
    }
@misc{my geometry project, 
    title={Polyhedrons Lesson}, url={https://reginageomfinproj.weebly.com/polyhedrons-lesson.html}, 
    journal={My geometry project}
    }
@misc{american mathematical society, 
    title={AMS :: Feature Column :: Packing Tetrahedra}, 
    url={http://www.ams.org/publicoutreach/feature-column/fc-2012-11}, 
    journal={American Mathematical Society}
    }
@misc{madeel_madeelmadeel15166 bronze badges_crococroco5_1966, 
    title={Drawing 3D lattice using TikZ}, 
    url={https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/380828/drawing-3d-lattice-using-tikz}, 
    journal={TeX}, 
    author={Madeel and madeelmadeel15166 bronze badges and CroCoCroCo5}, 
    year={1966}, 
    month={Oct}
    }
@misc{how do you translate a function?, 
    title={How Do You Translate a Function?: Printable Summary: Virtual Nerd},
    url={https://virtualnerd.com/worksheetHelper.php?tutID=Alg2_02_01_0006}, 
    journal={How Do You Translate a Function? | Printable Summary | Virtual Nerd}
    } 

All but the first two citations have the following error when I try to compile the file:

I was expecting a ',' or a '}'

I can't find the error in my bib file. Can someone please suggest how this error can be fixed?

Answer 1

If you look at the error messages in the file \jobname.blg (where \jobname is the name of your main tex file), you'll notice that all errors are related to the presence of whitespace in the entries' keys. For instance, for the third entry in the bib file one finds the following error message:

  I was expecting a `,' or a `}'---line 36 of file mybib.bib
     : @misc{wolfram 
     :               blog,
  I'm skipping whatever remains of this entry

(Aside: In your posting, you showed only the first of four consecutive lines of the error message.)

BibTeX does not allow whitespace in an entry's key. That's why wolfram blog throws an error. After BibTeX has processed wolfram and whitespace, it is expecting to encounter either a comma -- the normal case -- or a } character -- which would terminate the entry entirely; not common, presumably, but still valid, syntactically speaking. Instead, it encounters "blog", giving it no choice but to throw an error message.

The remedy? Do not use whitespace in the entries' keys.