## NIU Department of Mathematical Sciences Issues with the "preprint" style

Many TEX users in the Department have been using the "preprint" style files, which were originally created by Mari-Anne Hartig and then evolved into a large collection of macros.

One problem with these files is that parts of them are quite outdated. They are also bloated: a typical document needs a small fraction of the macros defined in them. Finally, they are local to the NIU Math system, which of course creates problems when a paper using them needs to be sent outside.

The current best practice is to remove any references to "preprint1X" in LaTeX documents, run LaTeX repeatedly noting which commands are undefined, and to copy all the necessary macros into your file instead. Below is the old style file with some commentary.

% Next we change the default margins used by LaTeX, since we
% want to put a little more text per page than what LaTeX allows
% with its default settings.
%
\topmargin      0in
\oddsidemargin  0in
\evensidemargin 0in
\textheight  8.5in
\textwidth    6.5in

This is best done in your document's preamble. Remember that the margins are relative to the standard 1 inch margin, and that you may also want to get rid of the space left for the running head, if you are not using one:
\headheight     0in

The following font commands are obsolete:
\newfont{\msbm}{msbm10 scaled \magstep1}  % for 12 point size
\newfont{\msam}{msam10 scaled \magstep1}  % for 12 point size

\input{amssym.def}
\input{amssym}

and then to get - say - the reals in the new "Blackboard Bold" font, define
\newcommand{\R}{{\Bbb R}}

LaTeX 2e users should use
\usepackage{latexsym}

to access certain symbols and commands, such as the end-of-proof \Box.

Some document styles do not automatically provide the standard Math environments, so you need to define your own:

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%
% THEOREM ENVIRONMENTS
%
% The theorem-like environments below are all numbered according
% to section, e.g., Theorem 1.1, Theorem 1.2, Lemma 1.1, etc.
% See the LaTeX manual, p. 174 for alternative numbering schemes.
%
\newtheorem{corollary}  {Corollary}  [section]
\newtheorem{definition} {Definition} [section]
\newtheorem{example}    {Example}    [section]
\newtheorem{hypothesis} {Hypothesis} [section]
\newtheorem{lemma}      {Lemma}      [section]
\newtheorem{proposition}{Proposition}[section]
\newtheorem{remark}     {Remark}     [section]
\newtheorem{theorem}    {Theorem}    [section]
%
\newenvironment{proof}%
{\smallskip\noindent{\em Proof}\/:\hspace{0.5em}}%
{\nolinebreak[4]\rule{.3em}{1.5ex}\vspace{2ex}\par}

Many exams, handouts etc. use the following list variants; eventually they might end up in a separate local macro file, but for now please copy the suitable "newcounter" and "newenvironment" definitions into your document:
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%
% LIST ENVIRONMENTS
%
% Alphlist:  A., B., ...
%
\newcounter{Alphnum}
\newenvironment{Alphlist}{\begin{list}{\Alph{Alphnum}.}
{\usecounter{Alphnum}\setlength{\topsep}{1ex}
\setlength{\itemsep}{1pt}\setlength{\leftmargin}{4em}}
\rm}{\end{list}}
%
% alphlist:  (a), (b), ...
%
\newcounter{alphnum}
\newenvironment{alphlist}{\begin{list}{(\alph{alphnum})}
{\usecounter{alphnum}\setlength{\leftmargin}{1.5em}}
\rm}{\end{list}}
%
% arablist:  (1), (2), ...
%
\newcounter{arabicnum}
\newenvironment{arablist}{\begin{list}{(\arabic{arabicnum})}
{\usecounter{arabicnum}}
\rm}{\end{list}}
%
% romlist: (i), (ii), ...
%
\newcounter{romnum}
\newenvironment{romlist}{\begin{list}{(\roman{romnum})}
{\usecounter{romnum}\setlength{\topsep}{1pt}
\setlength{\itemsep}{1pt}}
\rm}{\end{list}}
%
% Romlist:  I., II., ...
%
\newcounter{Romnum}
\newenvironment{Romlist}{\begin{list}{\Roman{Romnum}.}
{\usecounter{Romnum}\setlength{\topsep}{1pt}
\setlength{\itemsep}{1pt}}
\rm}{\end{list}}

Similarly, some of these shortcuts (especially \dfrac, \dint) are useful, some are not:
%
% NEW COMMANDS
%
\newcommand{\bm}[1]{\mbox{\boldmath $#1$}}
\newcommand{\dcup} {\displaystyle\bigcup}
\newcommand{\dfrac}{\displaystyle\frac}
\newcommand{\dinf} {\displaystyle\inf}
\newcommand{\dint} {\displaystyle\int}
\newcommand{\dlim} {\displaystyle\lim}
\newcommand{\dsum} {\displaystyle\sum}
\newcommand{\dsup} {\displaystyle\sup}
\newcommand{\pp}[2]{\dfrac{\partial{#1}}{\partial{#2}}}
\newcommand{\ppp}[2]{\dfrac{\partial^2{#1}}{\partial{#2}^2}}
\newcommand{\rf}[1]{(\ref{#1})}
\newcommand{\ul}   {\underline}
%
\newcommand{\bc}   {\begin{center}}
\newcommand{\ec}   {\end{center}}
\newcommand{\benum}{\begin{enumerate}}
\newcommand{\eenum}{\end{enumerate}}

Short names for Greek letters and various symbols are convenient, but please use only those that the paper really needs:
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%
% GREEK LETTERS
%
\newcommand{\eps}{\epsilon}
\newcommand{\Om} {\Omega}
\newcommand{\om} {\omega}
\newcommand{\Lm} {\Lambda}
\newcommand{\lm} {\lambda}
\newcommand{\sg} {\sigma}
\newcommand{\ve} {\varepsilon}
\newcommand{\vf} {\varphi}
\newcommand{\vr} {\varrho}
\newcommand{\vs} {\varsigma}
\newcommand{\vt} {\vartheta}
%
% MATH OPERATORS
%
\newcommand{\coker}{\mathop{\rm coker}}
\newcommand{\diag} {\mathop{\rm diag}}
\newcommand{\Div}  {\mathop{\rm div}}
\newcommand{\ess}  {\mathop{\rm ess}}
\newcommand{\Iff}  {\mathop{\rm iff}}
\newcommand{\kg}   {\mathop{\rm kg}}
\newcommand{\loc}  {\mathop{\rm loc}}
\newcommand{\mod}  {\mathop{\rm mod}}
\newcommand{\per}  {\mathop{\rm per}}
\newcommand{\rank} {\mathop{\rm rank}}
\newcommand{\Real} {\mathop{\rm Real}}
\newcommand{\tr}   {\mathop{\rm tr}}
%
% Following numbers equations (1.1a), (1.1b), etc.
% Use \eqnalph before an equation; use \eqnarabic to return
% to normal numbering (1.2), (1.3), ...
%
\newcommand{\eqnalph}[1]{\setcounter{equation}{0}
\renewcommand{\theequation}{\arabic{section}.{#1}\alph{equation}}}
\newcommand{\eqnarabic}[1]{\setcounter{equation}{#1}
\renewcommand{\theequation}{\arabic{section}.\arabic{equation}}}
\newcommand{\norm}[1]{\|#1\|}