# How to create multicolumns list environment with the package 'enumerate'?

Let us consider The following example

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{enumerate}
\begin{document}
\begin{enumerate}
\item Which of the following numbers is the largest ?\\
$2^{3^4},2^{4^3},3^{2^4},3^{4^2},4^{2^3},4^{3^2}.$

\begin{enumerate}[(a)]
\item  $2^{3^4}$
\item  $3^{4^2}$
\item  $4^{3^2}$
\item $4^{2^3}$
\end{enumerate}

\end{enumerate}
\end{document}


This produces :

But I'd like to produce the following using the same package :

OR

OR

How can I do that?

You can use the multicol package:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{enumerate}
\usepackage{multicol}
\begin{document}
\begin{enumerate}
\item Which of the following numbers is the largest?\\
$2^{3^4}$, $2^{4^3}$, $3^{2^4}$, $3^{4^2}$, $4^{2^3}$, $4^{3^2}$.

\begin{enumerate}[(a)]
\begin{multicols}{2}
\item  $2^{3^4}$
\item  $3^{4^2}$
\item  $4^{3^2}$
\item $4^{2^3}$
\end{multicols}
\end{enumerate}

\end{enumerate}
\end{document}


Here's another option, using this time the enumitem package and its inline option:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[inline]{enumitem}
\begin{document}
\begin{enumerate}
\item Which of the following numbers is the largest?\\
$2^{3^4}$, $2^{4^3}$, $3^{2^4}$, $3^{4^2}$, $4^{2^3}$, $4^{3^2}$.

\begin{enumerate*}[label=(\alph*),itemjoin={\hspace{\fill}}]
\item  $2^{3^4}$
\item  $3^{4^2}$
\item  $4^{3^2}$
\item $4^{2^3}$
\end{enumerate*}

\end{enumerate}
\end{document}


• sorry,the last answer shows 4 errors one is given here :Environment enumerate* undefined.\begin{enumerate*}. I don't know what is this. – Soumitra Sen Apr 5 '13 at 3:26
• @SoumitraSen This error indicates that you are using an outdated version of the enumitem package. Please update the package (or, even better, your LaTeX system). My second solution works with version 3.5.2 of the enumitem package. – Gonzalo Medina Apr 5 '13 at 3:30

This looks like an ideal task for tasks (here in combination with exsheets which as of May 2017 is superseded by xsim):

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{exsheets}
% this sets up the question headings to be a simple run-in number:
\SetupExSheets{
}

% this creates a new environment choices' where the single
% choices are indicated with \choice and are labelled (a), (b), ...:

\begin{document}
\begin{question}
Which of the following numbers is the largest?\\
$2^{3^4}$, $2^{4^3}$, $3^{2^4}$, $3^{4^2}$, $4^{2^3}$, $4^{3^2}$.
\begin{choices}
\choice $2^{3^4}$
\choice $3^{4^2}$
\choice $4^{3^2}$
\choice $4^{2^3}$
\end{choices}
\end{question}

\begin{question}
Which of the following numbers is the largest?\\
$2^{3^4}$, $2^{4^3}$, $3^{2^4}$, $3^{4^2}$, $4^{2^3}$, $4^{3^2}$.
% the optional argument in parentheses determines the number of columns:
\begin{choices}(2)
\choice $2^{3^4}$
\choice $3^{4^2}$
\choice $4^{3^2}$
\choice $4^{2^3}$
\end{choices}
\end{question}

\begin{question}
Which of the following numbers is the largest?\\
$2^{3^4}$, $2^{4^3}$, $3^{2^4}$, $3^{4^2}$, $4^{2^3}$, $4^{3^2}$.
\begin{choices}(4)
\choice $2^{3^4}$
\choice $3^{4^2}$
\choice $4^{3^2}$
\choice $4^{2^3}$
\end{choices}
\end{question}

\end{document}

• sorry, your answe shows the error : File 'exsheets.sty' not found.\SetupExsheets.Please, explain what is this. – Soumitra Sen Apr 5 '13 at 7:44
• @SoumitraSen this means that your TeX distribution is to old and has èxsheetsnot yet installed. You'd need to update your distribution – cgnieder Apr 5 '13 at 7:53