# Latex, left indent numcases

I have this simple equation (representation a dynamic programming recursion):

 \begin{numcases}
{Opt\left(P, i, \ell \right)=min }
\nonumber (1)\hspace{0.5 mm} Opt(P,i+1,\ell) + M(\ell,g)\label{eq:1}\hspace*{-10em} & \\
\nonumber (2)\hspace{0.5 mm} \min_{g \in L(v_{i+1})}\{Opt(P,i+1,g) + M(\ell,g)\}\label{eq:2}\hspace*{-5em} & \\
\end{numcases}


I have three questions:

1) How do I remove the equation number automatically added, I tried \nonumber but it didn't work.

2) More importantly, how do I control the left indent. Latex automatically centers the equations, but I am using a double column paper template and I would like the equation to be aligned to the left in this case, or at the very least control the left indent.

3) Is it possible in Latex to take any piece of latex code and rescale its output? For example I would like to place this exact equation but make it 90% of its original size.

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Welcome to TeX.sx! Please add a complete minimal working example (MWE) that illustrates your problem. A tip: You can use backticks  to mark your inline code as I did in my edit. – Kurt Sep 8 '12 at 1:27
To left align to the page you can use the class option [fleqn] and then the left indent is controlled via \mathindent. See for exmaple Left align (to the page) displayed math. – Peter Grill Sep 8 '12 at 3:01
Please don't mix questions; use separate questions. – Martin Schröder Oct 6 '12 at 21:21

Your answer would have been self-evident have you provided an MWE. You must have something like the code below.

\documentclass[twocolumn,fleqn]{article} % The fleqn option left aligns equations

\usepackage[outer=0.2in,inner=0.1in]{geometry}
\usepackage{cases}
\setlength{\mathindent}{0cm}

\begin{document}

\begin{numcases}
{Opt\left(P, i, \ell \right)=min }
(1)\hspace{0.5 mm} Opt(P,i+1,\ell) + M(\ell,g)\label{eq:1}\hspace*{-10em} & \nonumber\\ % Put the command \nonumber before \\ and do not put \\ after the last line in order not to create a new equation line.
(2)\hspace{0.5 mm} \min_{g \in L(v_{i+1})}\{Opt(P,i+1,g) + M(\ell,g)\}\label{eq:2}\hspace*{-5em} & \nonumber
\end{numcases}

\end{document}

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You need to use fleqn option to left align (not rleqn), and then adjust the indent. If you add the showframe option to the geometry package you will see that your MWE still produces an indented equation. – Peter Grill Sep 8 '12 at 3:02
@PeterGrill, I have already edited my answer. I thought what I have written was the option fleqn as you can see in the code comment. Thanks for the heads up. – hpesoj626 Sep 8 '12 at 8:01
One should ask why using numcases and suppressing the numbers; cases from amsmath` is surely better. – egreg Sep 8 '12 at 8:01
@egreg Saw this post. tex.stackexchange.com/questions/65060/… Seems to me OP asked dup. Heiko also used cases there. But the question seems to indicate that there might be people out there who insist on using numcases. – hpesoj626 Sep 18 '12 at 1:05