Master Overleaf: A Quick Guide to Writing LaTeX Papers for Modeling Competitions

Many participants in modeling competitions prefer using LaTeX for paper editing. While LaTeX has a learning curve, its typesetting quality and convenience are excellent. Local compilers like TeXlive or TeXworks are available but can be cumbersome to install, so the online editor Overleaf is recommended for its ease of collaboration.

Usage Process

Step 1: Register. Click the "log in" button at the top right and enter your email and password.

Step 2: Create a new project. In the left‑hand "New Project" dropdown, select "Blank Project" to start a new document.

Step 3: Fill in document information. Enter the author name inside \author{} , the title after \title{} , and the date after \date{} (leaving the braces empty hides the date).

The preamble (declaring document class with \documentclass and loading packages) is written before \begin{document} . The main content goes between \begin{document} and \end{document} . After writing, click "recompile" to generate the PDF.

Common Syntax

If you type plain text in the body without any commands, it appears without formatting. Below are typical commands for formatting.

Setting Sections

Use \section{} , \subsection{} , and \subsubsection{} for different heading levels.

Adjusting Fonts

\emph{} for emphasis/italic.

\textbf{} for bold.

\underline{} for underline.

Lists

\begin{itemize} ... \end{itemize} creates an unordered list; each item follows \item .

\begin{enumerate} ... \end{enumerate} creates an ordered list; each item follows \item .

Mathematical Formulas

LaTeX excels at rendering beautiful formulas. Inline formulas are wrapped with a single dollar sign, while displayed formulas use double dollars.

Example of an inline formula: $\sqrt{x^2}$ .

Common symbols:

\frac{numerator}{denominator} for fractions.

\sqrt{} for square roots.

\int for integrals.

Greek letters are entered by their English names, e.g., \alpha , \beta .

A useful site for converting formulas to LaTeX syntax is latexlive.com .

Common math symbols and their LaTeX commands are shown in the image below.

Tables and Images

Insert tables with \begin{table} ... \end{table} . For quick conversion from Excel or CSV to LaTeX, use tableconvert.com . Insert images with \begin{figure} ... \end{figure} . Remember to load the graphicx package in the preamble ( \usepackage{graphicx} ) or compilation will fail.

Chinese Input

To write Chinese, change the document class to \documentclass{ctexart} and set the compiler to XeLaTeX in the Overleaf menu.