[Tex/LaTex] Footnote in math mode: how to use symbols instead of numbers

footnotesmath-mode

In this and that post, it is explained how to put a footnote in math mode. The problem is that the number of footnotemark might be confused with exponents and viceversa: how can I use a symbol (say §, for example) instead?

Note I wish to use symbols only in math mode not in the rest of the text.

Best Answer

Don't footnote math. Never. However, if you don't want to listen to this advice, here's a way:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[papersize={8cm,6cm}]{geometry} % just to save space
\usepackage{bigfoot}

\DeclareNewFootnote[para]{math}[fnsymbol]
\MakeSortedPerPage{footnotemath}

\begin{document}

Some text with a footnote.\footnote{Some text in the footnote}
\[
a^n+b^n\ne c^n\,\footnotemarkmath
\]\footnotetextmath{I found a very smart proof of
this, but the footnote space doesn't contain it.}


\end{document}

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[Tex/LaTex] How to typeset a reference to a footnote

In my opinion, you should use full-size numbers -- not only for references to footnotes, but also for the actual notes.

Quoting Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style, p. 69:

4.3.3 Use superscripts in the text but full-size numbers in the notes themselves

In the main text, superscript numbers are used to indicate notes because superscript numbers minimize interruption. They are typographic asides: small because that is an expression of their relative importance, and raised for two reasons: to keep them out of the flow of the main text, and to make them easier to find. In the note itself, the number is not an aside but a target. Therefore the number in the note should be full size.

EDIT: Here's an example using the scrextend package which is part of KOMA-script:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{scrextend}
\deffootnote{2em}{1.6em}{\thefootnotemark\hspace{0.7em}}

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

\begin{document}

\blindtext\footnote{\blindtext}

\end{document}

[Tex/LaTex] Footnote in math mode

You shouldn't be using eqnarray, first of all, but rather align.

\begin{align}
a &= b && \text{something\footnotemark} \\
c &= d && \text{other}
\end{align}
\footnotetext{text of the footnote}

While \footnote works in equation, it doesn't in other alignment environments.

Best Answer

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[Tex/LaTex] How to typeset a reference to a footnote

[Tex/LaTex] Footnote in math mode

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