Latex Error: \begin{document} ended by \end{sidewaystable}

Question

I get the following error when compiling my LaTeX source:

! LaTeX Error: \begin{document} ended by \end{sidewaystable}.

See the LaTeX manual or LaTeX Companion for explanation.
Type  H <return>  for immediate help.
...                                              

l.98 

The table causing the problem, which is defined in chapter1.tex, and included in the main document by \include{chapter1}, is:

\afterpage{
  \clearpage
  \begin{sidewaystable}
    \begin{center}
      \scalebox{0.75}{
        \begin{tabular}{p{4cm}|c|p{4cm}|p{5cm}l|ll|l|}
          \hline
          \multicolumn{3}{c|}{}
            & \multicolumn{2}{c|}{Time Complexity}
            & \multicolumn{2}{c|}{Space Complexity} \\
          \hline
          Author
            & Year
            & Method
            & $m < n$
            & $m = n$
            & $m < n$
            & $m = n$ \\
          \hline
          \hline
          ...
          \hline
        \end{tabular}
      }
      \caption{Time and space complexity of algorithms used to calculate Hermite Normal Form matrices measured in terms of the matrix dimension, $n$, by letting $M = O(n^c)$ for some constant $c$, and $m = O(n)$.  Such conversions will be denoted by $O^{\thicksim}$(*).}
    \end{center}
  \end{sidewaystable}
  \clearpage
}

The main source file uses the report document class. It also uses the following packages:

\usepackage{uowthesis}
\usepackage{epsfig}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{mathdots}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{rotating}
\usepackage{epsf}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{afterpage}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}

Apart from some \newtheorem and \newcommand statements, there is nothing spectacular about the main source file that should cause it to behave this way unless, of course, the \afterpage statement (above) interferes with the \beforepreface and \afterpreface statements, also included in the main source.

Note that I have decided not to paste the main source file as sample code in this question due to space limitations. Also, due to breach of confidentiality, intellectual property, etc. However, I can elaborate on certain portions of the main source if requested and, if necessary.

Modification: bill 3-JAN-2012 - Added sample main file.

Here's an abridged version of the main file that can be used to cause/show the problem. Hope it helps.

\documentclass[a4,12pt]{report}

\usepackage{uowthesis}
\usepackage{epsfig}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{mathdots}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{rotating}
\usepackage{epsf}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{afterpage}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}


\begin{document}

%
\title{Optimal Key Lengths and Digital Signatures}
\author{Vasilios Evangelos Tourloupis}
\dedicate{My Family}
\degree{Master of Computer Science}
\dept{School of Computer Science and Software Engineering}

\beforepreface
%\include{abstract}  % Abstract
%\include{acknowledgement}   % Acknowledgements}
%\include{papers}    % Publications

\afterpreface

\include{chapter1} % Introduction
\include{Chapter2} % Background
\include{Chapter3} % Efficient Self-Certified Signatures with Batch Verification
\include{chapter4} % Self-Certified Ring Signatures
\include{Chapter5} % Conclusion


%\bibliographystyle{alpha}
%\bibliography{thesis}   %\include{NoCites}   % Important references (probably not cited before)


\end{document}

Answer 1

uowthesis is an old LaTeX style written for LaTeX 2.09. Especially the redefinition of \@xfloat is not compatible to LaTeX2e. As a workaround one can save the definition of \@xfloat before including the uowthesis style, and do a proper redefinition afterwards:

\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{report}

% Save \@xfloat
\makeatletter
\let\@xfloat@ORI\@xfloat
\makeatother

\usepackage{uowthesis}

% Redefine \@xfloat in a way which works with LaTeX2e
\makeatletter
\def\@xfloat#1[#2]{%
  \@xfloat@ORI{#1}[{#2}]%
  \def\baselinestretch{1}\@normalsize} % This line taken from uowthesis
\makeatother

\usepackage{rotating}

\begin{document}

  \begin{sidewaystable}
    \centering
        \begin{tabular}{p{4cm}|c|p{4cm}|p{5cm}l|ll|l|}
          \hline
          \multicolumn{3}{c|}{}
            & \multicolumn{2}{c|}{Time Complexity}
            & \multicolumn{2}{c|}{Space Complexity} \\
          \hline
%          ...
          \hline
        \end{tabular}
      \caption{Time and space complexity of algorithms...}
  \end{sidewaystable}

\end{document}

Note that this isn't up-to-date coding either. A better approach would be using the setspace package for that purpose. The setspace enables single spacing for floating environments and footnotes automatically, so no need to patch \@xfloat and \@footnotetext as done in uowthesis.

Answer 2

You probably opened something that you didn't close. (It could be in the source doc, or it could be in the expansion of some macro.)

Comment out things until you have something that works. Then add back. At that point you know the offending piece.