Special presentation - TikZ and You

Jānis Lazovskis, Department of Pure Mathematics, University of Waterloo

"TikZ and you: how to get the most out of code-generated graphics"

LaTeX is a powerful tool for typesetting documents, but creating diagrams and illustrations is most often done in external programs, frequently disrupting the complete customizability that makes LaTeX so great. The TikZ package takes care of this problem by direct integration with the document parameters and an easy-to-use system of nodes and paths on a coordinate plane. This presentation will be an introduction to TikZ for people who have used LaTeX before and wish to do more with it (no previous knowledge of TikZ is expected). I will describe the main tools of nodes, labels, arrows, paths, and shapes using basic examples such as commutative diagrams and graphs. Then I will introduce broader topics including anchors, curved paths, coordinate transformations, position calculations, loops, and style options.

You are encouraged to bring your own computer to follow along. If you would like something specific to be discussed at the talk, feel free to contact me in advance.