# How to resize a fomula inside a block?

I would like to insert a formula as a block in my presentation:

\begin{block}{concretization}{
$\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.5}% \begin{array}{l} \gamma \rightarrow ... \end{array}$
}\end{block}


The formula is a little bit too large... So should I resize it or change the whole font size of the presentation? Is it possible to let Beamer decide the factor of scaling?

Another question is... is it normal that I add $ in the beginning and the end of array, otherwise it gives me an error... - Do you have a list of entries in the array, or just a single, one-line equation that spans 1 column? Also, elaborate a little on the "factor of scaling" you mention. – Werner Aug 29 '11 at 21:51 Indeed, i have a list of entries in the array, I use also \phantom from time to time... I mean a number (e.g. 0.5, 0.2) by "factor of scaling", because i would like beamer to decide it... – SoftTimur Aug 29 '11 at 22:03 Using $...$ for your array is fine. $$...$$ would also work. Just note that this will typeset it in inline math mode, rather than \displaystyle (by using $...$). – Werner Aug 29 '11 at 22:39 ## 1 Answer Scaling the font or resizing an entire block of text to make things fit is usually not a good idea from a typesetting point of view, since it introduces inconsistencies for the end-user (reader in this case). Fiddling with the spacing is a more viable option, since the font size is left untouched. However, this may be a moot point if your equation (or whatever) is "a little bit too large". Perhaps then, resizing things will not be as noticeable to the viewer/reader. If you want an absolute resizing, then \resizebox{<hlen>}{<vlen>}{<stuff>} from the graphicx package would work: \documentclass{beamer} \usepackage{graphicx}% http://ctan.org/pkg/graphicx \begin{document} \begin{frame} ... \begin{block}{concretization} \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.5}% \resizebox{!}{5mm}{% Height of 5mm; maintain aspect ratio$\begin{array}{l}
p_1(x)=a_0+a_1x+a_2x^2 \\
p_2(x)=b_0+b_1x+b_2x^2+b_3x^3 \\
p_3(x)=c_0+c_1x+c_2x^2+c_3c^3+c_4x^4
\end{array}$% } \end{block} ... \end{frame} \end{document}  If you want a relative resizing, then \scalebox{<factor>}{<stuff>} would work: \documentclass{beamer} \usepackage{graphicx}% http://ctan.org/pkg/graphicx \begin{document} \begin{frame} ... \begin{block}{concretization} \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.5}% \scalebox{0.5}{% Scale by 50%$\begin{array}{l}
p_1(x)=a_0+a_1x+a_2x^2 \\
p_2(x)=b_0+b_1x+b_2x^2+b_3x^3 \\
p_3(x)=c_0+c_1x+c_2x^2+c_3c^3+c_4x^4
\end{array}\$%
}
\end{block}
...
\end{frame}
\end{document}
​


In the above examples, the resizing and scaling have been exaggerated to illustrate the effects.

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