[Tex/LaTex] abstract, tableofcontents and listoffigures in twocolumn, landscape report

abstractlandscapetable of contentstwo-column

\documentclass[a4paper,landscape,twocolumn]{report}
....
\begin{document}
\begin{abstract}
bla bla bla
\end{abstract}

\tableofcontents
\listoffigures

\chapter{Introduction}
....

I get the main text nicely on 2 columns in landscape mode. However, the abstract, the table of contents and the list of figures goes in a single column that stretches the whole page, which is looking – ahemm – less than funny on a landscape A4 page.

I have tried to enclose the abstract in a separate \begin{twocolumn} ... \end{twocolumn}, that does not change enything. Same with the toc and the list of figures.
If I put the twocolumn environment inside the abstract environment it gives me 1 page withe the word "Abstract" and the abstract text itself in 2 columns on the next page. I could live with that, yet it is still unsatisfactory.

How can I get the whole document – except the title page – in two columns? I am using MikTex 2.8.

Best Answer

In the report class, the definitions of \tableofcontents etc. and of the abstract environment include a switch to \onecolumn if twocolumn is active for the document. Solution: Put the relevant document parts inside a group and \let\onecolumn\twocolumn inside this group.

\documentclass[a4paper,landscape,twocolumn]{report}

\usepackage{geometry}

\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\begin{document}

\begingroup
\let\onecolumn\twocolumn

\begin{abstract}
\blindtext
\end{abstract}

\tableofcontents
\listoffigures

\endgroup

\chapter{Introduction}

\blindtext[3]

\begin{figure}
\centering
(Figure content)
\caption{A figure}
\end{figure}

\blinddocument

\end{document}

(The blindtext package is only used to add some dummy text to the example.)

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