# What’s the most straightforward way to typeset theorems etc. when the numbering is entirely manual?

I’m using LaTeX to typeset some homework, and since we’re assigned problems scattered throughout our textbook I have to enter the problem number for each problem I typeset. I’d like these problems to look like this:

Problem 4.15. Prove that for every prime p, …

As far as I can tell, all of the straightforward ways to do this with amsthm will produce labels like

Problem (4.15).

or

4.15. Problem.

neither of which is quite what I want. Most of the samples I’ve found online are complicated by the fact that they support automatic numbering, but that’s not necessary (or even really useful) for me. I did come up with this:

\newenvironment{myproblem}[1][]
{\vspace{1em} \noindent \textbf{Problem #1.}}
{\vspace{1em}}


It produces the output I want, give or take an imperceptible amount of spacing, but this feels like a kludge. Is there a way to get what I want using amsthm or ntheorem or something like that?

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So you don't want automatic numbering? If so, may I ask you why? What do "4" and "15" represent in your example? – Gonzalo Medina Sep 19 '11 at 0:17
@GonzaloMedina As I said, we’re assigned a smattering of problems from a textbook (e.g. “problem 12 from chapter 4 and problem 5 from chapter 5”), and in order to include the problem number in my answers I need to use wildly non-sequential values (4.12 and 5.5 in this example). – bdesham Sep 19 '11 at 3:14

You can use the thmtools package as a front-end for amsthm to define your own theorem style. You can suppress the automatic numbering using the numbered=no option, and use the additional note field to manually introduce the numbering. Notice however that this approach has two drawbacks: 1) You loose the possibility of cross-referencing your problems. 2) Manual numbering is error-prone.

Here's a simple example:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsthm}
\usepackage{thmtools}

\declaretheoremstyle[
notefont=\bfseries, notebraces={}{},
bodyfont=\normalfont,
numbered=no,
]{mystyle}
\declaretheorem[style=mystyle]{problem}

\begin{document}

\begin{problem}[4.15]
Prove that for every prime $p$,
\end{problem}

\begin{problem}[3.12]
Prove that every integer
\end{problem}

\end{document}


As I already mentioned, the previous solution annihilates cross-referencing. Here's another approach that allows you to cross-reference your problems. I am assuming that the two-fold counter for the problems has its firs component (the "4" in your example) associated to an already defined counter (the one of a sectional unit, as it is customary), and that only the second component (the "15" in your example) will be manually introduced (again a possible source of errors).

In the following example I used amsthm to define a new theorem-like structure of definition style; this new structure will be numbered subordinately within sections. Then I wrapped this definition using a new environment with a mandatory argument that will be used to set the proper value to the second component of the counter.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsthm}

\theoremstyle{definition}
\newtheorem{prob}{Problem}[section]

\newenvironment{problem}[1]
{\setcounter{prob}{\numexpr#1-1\relax}\begin{prob}}
{\end{prob}}

\begin{document}

\section{Test}
\begin{problem}{15}\label{test1}
Prove that for every prime $p$,
\end{problem}
\section{Test}
\begin{problem}{8}\label{test2}
Prove that for every ring $R$,
\end{problem}
We see in Problems~\ref{test1} and~\ref{test2}

\end{document}


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I don’t need the ability to cross-reference so this will work fine. Thanks! – bdesham Sep 19 '11 at 3:15

Here's a simpler solution that also copes with cross references.

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{amsthm}

\makeatletter
\newtheorem*{probleminn}{Problem \@currentlabel}
\newenvironment{problem}[1]
{\def\@currentlabel{#1}\probleminn}{\endprobleminn}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\begin{problem}{4.14}
Prove that $2$ is prime.
\end{problem}

\begin{problem}{4.15}\label{bigproblem}
Prove that $2+2=4$.
\end{problem}

\begin{problem}{5.5}\label{easyone}
Prove that every even integer greater than $2$ is the sum of two primes.
\end{problem}

I can solve \ref{easyone}, but I'm stuck with \ref{bigproblem}.
\end{document}


Defining \@currentlabel is what's needed for assigning the correct value to the \label.

-

    \documentclass{book}
\usepackage{thmtools}
\declaretheorem[numberwithin={}]{theorem}

\begin{document}
\begin{theorem}
something
\end{theorem}
\begin{theorem}
something
\end{theorem}
\end{document}


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