latex

How To Use Prime Symbols in LaTeX

A prime symbol (‘) denotes a specific operation at a particular variable. This symbol is used as a standard quotation mark to indicate a specific value as well. In Mathematics, a prime symbol represents feet or arc minutes. Similarly, the double prime symbol (“) shows the inches and arcsecs.

Prime symbols are also used to describe the derivative of a function f(x). So, these symbols have an essential role in Mathematics. That’s why LaTeX also offers a way to use prime symbols. If you also want to learn how to write and use a prime symbol in LaTeX, read this tutorial for more information and examples.

How To Write and Use a Prime Symbol in LaTeX

In LaTeX, there are two different ways to write a prime symbol. You can either use the (‘) symbol or \prime source code. Let’s start with the example containing the following source code:

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
$$f'(x) = x^2$$
$$h'
(x) = x^2$$
$$g'(x) = x^2$$
\end{document}

Similarly, you can use the \prime source code, but make sure to use it as follows:

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
$$f^{\prime}(x) = x^2$$
$$h^{\prime}(x) = x^2$$
$$g^{\prime}(x) = x^2$$
\end{document}

Output:

You can also write double or triple prime symbols. It only requires a simple form of the following source code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\begin{document}
You can use the following prime symbols:\newline
1. Single Prime Symbol: $f^{\prime}(x)$ or f'(x) or$f'(x)$\newline
2. Double Prime Symbol: $f^{\prime\prime}(x)$ or f''(x) or $f''(x)$\newline
3. Triple Prime Symbol: $f^{\prime\prime\prime}(x)$ or f'''(x) or $f'''(x)$
\end{document}

Output:

As the previous image shows, multiple approaches to writing a prime symbol exists. However, the f”'(x) doesn’t provide the correct result like $f^{\prime\prime\prime}(x)$ and $f”'(x)$.

Conclusion

This is how you can quickly write and use a prime symbol in LaTeX. We have used various methods to create a prime symbol. Moreover, we have also explained creating various prime symbols, such as single, double, and triple. We hope the information above helps you use the prime symbol in LaTeX. For more LaTeX-related information, visit Linux Hint for articles like this.

About the author

Prateek Jangid

A passionate Linux user for personal and professional reasons, always exploring what is new in the world of Linux and sharing with my readers.