# Curly brackets around a table

I would like to have braces on the left side of a table (either that or on the right side) and bellow the same table.

What I have got is

$m-Mal \underbrace{ \left\{\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|l|}\hline 1+1 & 1+2 & ... & 1+n \\ \hline 2+1 & 2+2 & ... & 2+n \\ \hline ... & ... & ... & ... \\ \hline m+1 & m+2 & ... & m+n \\ \hline \end{tabular} }_{n-Mal}$


But the problem is that the underbrace goes too much to the left:

Ideally, the \underbrace would end where the first column starts.

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Welcome to TeX.sx! I added the image for you. –  Torbjørn T. Dec 12 '12 at 21:39
–  Qrrbrbirlbel Dec 12 '12 at 22:13
German? Typographically and orthographically speaking, n\text{-mal} would be correct (upright -mal; - being a hypen, not a minus; m a minuscule; requires \usepackage{amsmath}). Also, in the underbrace’s text, I’d add \textstyle (i.e. _{\textstyle n\text{-mal}}) so that it has the same size as n-mal. –  Qrrbrbirlbel Dec 12 '12 at 22:26
@Qrrbrbirlbel thank you (I'm not a native so I make lots of those small grammar mistakes) ;) –  smihael Dec 13 '12 at 13:45

Here's on option, with some modifications to your current arrangement:

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
$m-Mal \underbrace{ \left\{\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|l|}\hline 1+1 & 1-2 & ... & 1+n \\ \hline 2+1 & 2+2 & ... & 2+n \\ \hline ... & ... & ... & ... \\ \hline m+1 & m+2 & ... & m+n \\ \hline \end{tabular}\right. }_{n-Mal}$
$% Store contents in \box0 \setbox0=\hbox{\begin{array}{|*{4}{c|}}\hline 1+1 & 1-2 & \cdots & 1+n \\ \hline 2+1 & 2+2 & \cdots & 2+n \\ \hline \cdots & \cdots & \cdots & \cdots \\ \hline m+1 & m+2 & \cdots & m+n \\ \hline \end{array}} m-Mal\left\{\vphantom{\usebox0}\right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace \underbrace{\usebox0}_{n-Mal}$
\end{document}


I've used

• array instead of tabular since the content seemed math-related;
• \cdots instead of ...;
• a column specification that is easily identifiable and changeable (|*{4}{c|});
• a box to store the entire structure (\box0), then used it to insert the left brace at the appropriate size (via a \vphantom). This leaves you to use a regular \underbrace to obtain the correct length.

A minor correction in terms of spacing is required to adjust for the "missing" right delimiter \right..

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Wow, thank you very much. I just don't get what exactly does the \kern do. –  smihael Dec 13 '12 at 13:44
@smihael \kern<glue> Adds a space (horizontal or vertical depending on context, here it's horizontal), and \nulldelimiterspace is the width of \right. –  yo' Dec 13 '12 at 14:21