physics package in Scissor LaTeX
The physics package does not work in Scissor LaTeX: commands from physics such as \abs, \norm, \dv, \pdv, \qty, \vb and \grad are unknown, so every formula that uses one is shown in red; define the few you need with \newcommand, or write them out.
What the package does
physics offers short commands for notation that physicists write often: absolute values and norms (\abs, \norm), derivatives (\dv, \pdv), automatic brackets (\qty), bold vectors (\vb), vector operators (\grad, \curl), traces and matrices (\tr, \mqty), and bra-ket notation.
What works here
| Command | In Scissor LaTeX | Write instead |
|---|---|---|
\abs{x} | Not supported | \left\lvert x \right\rvert |
\norm{v} | Not supported | \left\lVert v \right\rVert |
\dv{f}{x} | Not supported | \frac{\mathrm{d} f}{\mathrm{d} x} |
\pdv{f}{x} | Not supported | \frac{\partial f}{\partial x} |
\qty(...) | Not supported | \left( ... \right) |
\vb{F}, \vu{x} | Not supported | \mathbf{F}, \hat{\mathbf{x}} |
\grad, \curl, \laplacian | Not supported | \nabla f, \nabla \times \mathbf{F}, \nabla^2 f |
\div | Different | Here (as in plain LaTeX) \div is the division sign ÷. Write \nabla \cdot \mathbf{F}. |
\tr, \Tr | Not supported | \operatorname{Tr} A |
\dd x | Not supported | \,\mathrm{d}x |
\eval{f}_0^1 | Not supported | \left. f \right\rvert_0^1 |
\order{x^2} | Not supported | \mathcal{O}(x^2) |
\mqty(...) | Not supported | \begin{pmatrix} ... \end{pmatrix} |
\ev, \expval, \comm | Not supported | \langle x \rangle, and [A, B] for a commutator |
Examples
A formula with \abs and \dv is shown in red:
physics commands show a red formula
\abs{x - 44} + \dv{f}{x}Shown in red: the formula cannot be read, so its source is shown instead.
The same notation written with standard commands:
Written out with standard commands
\left\lvert x - 44 \right\rvert + \frac{\mathrm{d} f}{\mathrm{d} x},
\qquad
\left\lVert \mathbf{v} \right\rVert,
\qquad
\nabla \times \mathbf{F},
\qquad
\int_0^1 f(x) \,\mathrm{d}xFor partial derivatives and expectation values, write them with the standard commands:
\pdv and \expval written with standard commands
\frac{\partial f}{\partial x} + \frac{\partial^2 f}{\partial x \, \partial y},
\qquad
\langle x \rangle = 44If you use these often, define your own short commands in the preamble. Do not load physics at the same time, because in a TeX installation it already defines these names:
Your own \abs, \norm, \dv and \dd
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\newcommand{\abs}[1]{\left\lvert #1 \right\rvert}
\newcommand{\norm}[1]{\left\lVert #1 \right\rVert}
\newcommand{\dv}[2]{\frac{\mathrm{d} #1}{\mathrm{d} #2}}
\newcommand{\dd}{\,\mathrm{d}}
\newcommand{\vb}[1]{\mathbf{#1}}
\DeclareMathOperator{\Tr}{Tr}
\begin{document}
\[
\abs{x - 44} \le \norm{\vb{v}}, \qquad
\dv{f}{x}, \qquad
\int_0^1 f(x) \dd x, \qquad
\Tr A
\]
\end{document}Compatibility
- From a TeX installation to here: every formula with a
physicscommand turns red. Add the\newcommandlines above (and remove\usepackage{physics}) to make them work in both places. - From here to a TeX installation: documents with your own commands compile there unchanged.
The full manual is on CTAN: ctan.org/pkg/physics. See also Your own commands with \newcommand and Brackets and delimiters.
Questions and answers
How do I write an absolute value without the physics package?
Write \left\lvert x \right\rvert, or define \newcommand{\abs}[1]{\left\lvert #1 \right\rvert} once in the preamble and keep writing \abs{x}.
Why is a formula with physics commands red?
The converter does not know the physics commands, so a formula that uses one is shown in red and named in the Problems tab. Write the standard commands from the table above, or define your own with \newcommand.
Every example on this page is typeset by Scissor LaTeX when the site is built. Last updated 2026-11-06.