# Unwanted space before flalign

Why is there so much vertical space between the subsection heading and the equation in the following example. How do I get rid of it?

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\begin{document}
\section{Title}
\subsection{Subtitle}
\begin{flalign*}
a+b=8 &&\\
c=2 &&
\end{flalign*}
\end{document}


Secondly, why is it aligned at the equals sign, even without &=? I want both of the lines to be flushed to the left.

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Harish's answer show you how to adjust it, but it usually not recommend to begin a paragraph with a display math equation. If you use it as part of the normal paragraph the spacing is correct. –  Peter Grill Nov 10 '12 at 23:16
As far as your second question as to why the equal signs are aligned is that the 8 and 2 take up the same space and the equations are right aligned since there is no & until the end of the line, so then the end of the line is specified as the alignment point. –  Peter Grill Nov 10 '12 at 23:18
Are you sure you need flalign*? \subsection{Subtitle}$a+b=8$\\$c=2$ would do as well. Can you be more explicit about why you need such a layout? –  egreg Nov 10 '12 at 23:19
Sometimes I'll want to align some equations at the equals sign, so I'll need flalign. With my second question I was just wondering why my example wasn't flushed to the very left (the  were at the wrong places). – user21760 Nov 10 '12 at 23:25 ## 2 Answers Reduce \abovedisplayskip and put a & at the begining and one at the end. \documentclass{article} \usepackage{mathtools} \begin{document} \section{Title} \subsection{Subtitle} {\setlength{\abovedisplayskip}{0pt} \begin{flalign*} &a+b=8 &\\ &c=2 & \end{flalign*}} \end{document}  - Is there are way to set \abovedisplayskip so that the space before equations after every heading is reduced? – user21760 Nov 10 '12 at 23:19 @user21760: I don't advice it as it is a overkill (you have to patch the heading command). See comments of egreg and Peter above regarding these things. – Harish Kumar Nov 10 '12 at 23:24 I'm not sure that you really want flalign for this: \documentclass{article} \usepackage{array} \newenvironment{flusheqs} {\noindent\begin{array}{@{}>{\displaystyle}l@{}}}
{\end{array}\$\par}

\begin{document}
\section{Title}
\subsection{Subtitle}
\begin{flusheqs}
a+b=8 \\
c=2
\end{flusheqs}
\end{document}


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