Don't Click!

When you start to use LyX, you will probably use the math toolbar at the bottom of the window. You should, however, make it a habit to look at the source in order to learn how to write the code.

Writing the code for displaying a fraction

Click on Cmd/Ctrl+ m to enter math mode. Instead of using the fraction-icon in the math toolbar, you can write \frac and click spacebar (or enter). Two boxes appear, just as if you clicked on the fraction-icon. Move between the boxes using the up and down arrows. Move out from math mode by using right arrow.

For writing the code to display a square root, write \sqrt (in math mode) then click spacebar (or enter) to get a box where you write the content of the square root.

Subscripts and superscripts

The most common way to write subscripts and superscripts is to use ^ for superscripts and _ for subscripts, this is how it is done when using LyX/LaTeX, Octave, GeoGebra, and most other mathematics applications.

If you for instance want to write xⁿ⁺¹ using LyX, you write x^ and then click spacebar (or enter); write n+1 in the box and then click on right arrow to exit the superscript box.

When writing it in LaTeX, you use curly brackets around the superscript, in other words you write x^{n+1}.