These seem to be very similar as they both separate two operands.
When would one be used over the other?
Is there any difference in the math spacing surrounding them?
How would the spacing in these relate to to the spacing produced by \mathop
?
math-mode
These seem to be very similar as they both separate two operands.
When would one be used over the other?
Is there any difference in the math spacing surrounding them?
How would the spacing in these relate to to the spacing produced by \mathop
?
Best Answer
From the name,
\mathbin
modifies the spacing around something so that it adheres to that of a binary operator, while\mathrel
modifies the spacing to denote that of a binary relation. Here is an elementary approach at showcasing the difference:Note the spacing around
+
matching that of\mathbin
, while the spacing around=
matches that of\mathrel
.From the TeXBook (Chapter 17: More about Math, p 154-):