[Tex/LaTex] Can not plot x^4, sqrt(x) or x^3 + 5x^2 using pgf/tikz

errorsplottikz-pgf

I have recently started using LateX, and I am beginning to use pgf/tikz to create plots. But I have encountered some problems with the functions stated above. I can plot the function f(x)=x^3, but when I try to add 5*x^2 to the function, it gives an error when compiled. The same happens, when i try to plot x^4 and sqrt(x). An exampe if this:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepackage{pgf,tikz}           
\usetikzlibrary{arrows}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage [hmargin=2cm,vmargin=3cm]{geometry}
\begin{document}
\definecolor{ttqqqq}{rgb}{0.2,0,0}
\definecolor{wqwqwq}{rgb}{0.38,0.38,0.38}
\begin{tikzpicture}[line cap=round,line join=round,>=triangle 45,x=1.5923130274930888cm,y=1.0cm]
\draw[->,color=black] (-2.09,0) -- (7.96,0);
\foreach \x in {-2,-1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7}
\draw[shift={(\x,0)},color=black] (0pt,2pt) -- (0pt,-2pt) node[below] {\footnotesize $\x$};
\draw[->,color=black] (0,-4.76) -- (0,9.28);
\foreach \y in {-4,-2,2,4,6,8}
\draw[shift={(0,\y)},color=black] (2pt,0pt) -- (-2pt,0pt) node[left] {\footnotesize $\y$};
\draw[color=black] (0pt,-10pt) node[right] {\footnotesize $0$};
\clip(-2.09,-4.76) rectangle (7.96,9.28);
\draw[smooth,samples=100, domain=-2:8] plot(\x,{(\x)^(3)+2*(\x)^2});
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

When compiled it gives an error, but when I put a minus in front if (\x)^3, so the function is -(\x)^3+2*(\x}^2, it plots the function perfectly fine. Is there anyone who has an explanation for this?

Best Answer

As ferahfeza mentioned, you can use the axis environment to plot functions. Here is an example:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{pgfplots}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}
  \addplot {x^4};
  \addlegendentry{$x^4$};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}
  \addplot {sqrt(x)};
  \addlegendentry{$\sqrt{x}$};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

enter image description here

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[Tex/LaTex] TikZ: Cropping the Bounding Box

The code adds some completely useless invisible (or rather white) stuff. The lines

\clip(0pt,403pt) -- (389.957pt,403pt) -- (389.957pt,99.6166pt) -- (0pt,99.6166pt) -- (0pt,403pt);
\color[rgb]{1,1,1}
\fill(3.76406pt,399.236pt) -- (380.923pt,399.236pt) -- (380.923pt,253.19pt) -- (3.76406pt,253.19pt) -- (3.76406pt,399.236pt);
\fill(53.4497pt,394.719pt) -- (374.901pt,394.719pt) -- (374.901pt,289.325pt) -- (53.4497pt,289.325pt) -- (53.4497pt,394.719pt);

draw a white background that is larger than the actual picture. TikZ sees that and thinks it is part of the picture. Simply removing/uncommenting these lines removes most of the whitespace.

Near the end of the first scope,

\color[rgb]{1,1,1}
\fill(3.76406pt,249.426pt) -- (386.193pt,249.426pt) -- (386.193pt,103.381pt) -- (3.76406pt,103.381pt) -- (3.76406pt,249.426pt);

does the same. Additionally (near the end of the second scope),

\pgftext[center, base, at={\pgfpoint{220.95pt}{106.392pt}}]{\sffamily\fontsize{9}{0}\selectfont{\textbf{ }}}

adds a blank node below the picture, again enlarging the bounding box.

Removing all those lines gives a tight bounding box.

As far as I know, TikZ cannot do the cropping for you, as it can't know whether the white stuff is intentional or not (there might for example be a dark background behind the image so that white is visible).

[Tex/LaTex] Rotate a node but not its content: the case of the ellipse decoration

The source of the difficulty is that ellipses are constructed in a particular way in TikZ. They are paths that start from the x-axis and proceed counter-clockwise around their centre. The vast majority of the time, the exact parametrisation doesn't matter. You appear to have found the one situation where it does!

In the actual question, you only want to be able to mirror the ellipse, and so draw it starting from the negative x-axis (the title of the question suggests a more flexible approach). That's actually not too hard since we can exploit the symmetry of the ellipse. The key is to provide it with a negative x-radius, since then it will start from the negative x-axis (and proceed clockwise, but we could correct for that by negating the y-radius as well). To do this, we interrupt the call from the node shape to the drawing command and flip the sign of the x-radius. The simplest way to do this is to redefine the \pgfpathellipse macro to do the negation and then call the original macro. The following code does this.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{decorations,shapes,decorations.markings}
\makeatletter
\let\origpgfpathellipse=\pgfpathellipse
\def\revpgfpathellipse#1#2#3{%
  #2%
  \pgf@xa=-\pgf@x
  \origpgfpathellipse{#1}{\pgfqpoint{\pgf@xa}{0pt}}{#3}}
\makeatother

\tikzset{
  reversed ellipse/.style={
    ellipse,
    reverse the ellipse%
  },
  reverse the ellipse/.code={
    \let\pgfpathellipse=\revpgfpathellipse
  }
}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\node[ellipse,
  draw,
  postaction={
    decorate,
    decoration={
      markings,
      mark=at position 1 with {
        \arrow[line width=5pt,blue]{>}
      }
    }
  }
] at (0,0) {hello world};

\node[reversed ellipse,
  draw,
  postaction={
    decorate,
    decoration={
      markings,
      mark=at position 1 with {
        \arrow[line width=5pt,blue]{>}
      }
    }
  }
] at (0,-2) {hello world};
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

Here's the result:

rotated ellipse

(the arrow got clipped, but you can see where it lies)

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] TikZ: Cropping the Bounding Box

[Tex/LaTex] Rotate a node but not its content: the case of the ellipse decoration

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