# LaTeX: force table on page / prevent page break

Very, very new to LaTeX, so I hope I can get across what I want. Please bear with me :)

I want an equation and the list of parameters/units on the same page. For the list I used a tabular environment, as it seemed the easiest and cleanest way to get what I wanted. It turned out just as I wanted it. However, I don't manage to get the equation and the table with explanations on the same page.

I tried

 \begin{samepage}
...
\end{samepage}


but it didn't work. Is it because the table is a float? If so - is there a way to get both on the same page regardless? Or is there another way to format the list to get what I achieved with the tabular environment? I had a look at lists, but have no idea how to do it there...

Any help would be appreciated.

here is the relevant code:

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}

\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

\section{Penman-Monteith}

[...]
\\\\
The resulting standard equation for the ASCE-PM method is:
\\
$$ET= \frac {0.408 \, \Delta \, (R_n-G) \, +\gamma \, \dfrac{C_n}{T+273} \, u_2 \, (e_s- e_a)} {\Delta+\gamma \, (1+C_d \: u_2)} \label{PM_main}$$
\\
where:

\begin{tabular}{lcl}
ET & = & standardized reference evapotranspiration\\
& & [mm d$^{-1}$] or [mm h$^{-1}$]
\\
$\Delta$ & = & slope of saturation vapour pressure-temperature curve \\
& & [kPa $^{\circ}$C$^{-1}$]
\\
R$_n$ & = & net radiation at crop surface \\
& & [MJ m$^{-2}$ d$^{-1}$] or [MJ m$^{-2}$ h$^{-1}$] \\
G & = & soil heat flux density at soil surface \\
& & [MJ m$^{-2}$ d$^{-1}$] or [MJ m$^{-2}$ h$^{-1}$]
\\
$\gamma$ & = & psychrometric constant \\
& & [kPa $^{\circ}$C$^{-1}$]
\\
C$_n$ & = & constant changing with calculation time step and reference crop \\
& & [K mm s$^3$ Mg$^{-1}$ d$^{-1}$] or [K mm s$^3$ Mg$^{-1}$ h$^{-1}$]
\\
T & = & mean daily or hourly air temperature at 1.5 to 2.5 m height\\
& & [$^{\circ}$C]
\\
u$_2$ & = & mean daily or hourly wind speed at 2 m height\\
& & [m s$^{-1}$]
\\
e$_s$ & = & saturation vapour pressure at 1.5 to 2.5 m height\\
& & [kPa]
\\
e$_a$ & = & mean actual vapour pressure at 1.5 to 2.5 m height\\
& & [kPa]
\\
C$_d$ & = & constant changing with calculation time step and reference crop \\
& & [s m$^{-1}$].
\\
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

• Could't you enclose both the equation and the tabular in a figure environment? – Clément Jul 8 '14 at 16:03
• well, that was easy. Thank you! Didn't even know there is an environment like that. Do you want to resubmit your comment as an answer so that I can accept it? – Anne Jul 8 '14 at 16:05
• Doesn't \\* avoid page breaking after a line break? And hwo about enclosing it into a minipage? That would force a nopagebreak. Or if you want everything on the same page and you don't care about spacing, use a float like figure (as Clément suggested). – 1010011010 Jul 8 '14 at 16:29

You can just enclose both the equation and the table in a figure environment, and use some labeling that is :

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}

\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

\section{Penman-Monteith}
$$[...]$$
The resulting standard equation for the ASCE-PM method is displayed in figure~\ref{figASCE-PM}.

\begin{figure}
$$[...]$$

where:

\begin{tabular}{lcl}$$[...]$$\end{tabular}
\caption{The standard equation for the ASCE-PM method}
\label{figASCE-PM}
\end{figure}

\end{document}


I would use a tabbing here. Much easier, not floating and behaves like normal text when it comes to page breaks. When your explanation is getting long, you will need to do a page break anyway. But like this, you are keeping equation an explanation together with nice spacing. If you really want to stay on one page with all of it, just uncomment the two minipage lines in my MWE:

% arara: pdflatex

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\usepackage[sticky-per]{siunitx}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\begin{document}
\section{Penman-Monteith}
\blindtext\blindtext\blindtext
%\begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
The resulting standard equation for the ASCE-PM method is:
$$\mathrm{ET}= \frac{0.408\cdot\Delta (R_\mathrm{n}-G)+\gamma \cdot\dfrac{\mathrm{C}_n}{T+273} u_2 (e_\mathrm{s}-e_\mathrm{a})} {\Delta+\gamma(1+\mathrm{C}_d u_2)} \label{PM_main}$$
where:
\begin{tabbing}
\sisetup{per-mode=reciprocal}
\hspace*{1.5cm}\=\kill
ET \> standardized reference evapotranspiration\\
\> \si{\milli\metre\per\day} or \si{\milli\metre\per\hour}
\\
$\Delta$ \> slope of saturation vapour pressure-temperature curve \\
\> \si{\kilo\pascal\per\celsius}
\\
$R_\mathrm{n}$ \> net radiation at crop surface \\
\> \si{\mega\joule\per\square\metre\day} or \si{\mega\joule\per\square\metre\hour} \\
$G$ \> soil heat flux density at soil surface \\
\> \si{\mega\joule\per\square\metre\day} or \si{\mega\joule\per\square\metre\hour}
\\
$\gamma$ \> psychrometric constant \\
\> \si{\kilo\pascal\per\celsius}
\\
$\mathrm{C}_n$ \> constant changing with calculation time step and reference crop \\
\> \si{\kelvin\milli\metre\cubic\second\per\mega\gram\day} or \si{\kelvin\milli\metre\cubic\second\per\mega\gram\hour}
\\
$T$ \> mean daily or hourly air temperature at $1.5$ to \SI{2.5}{\metre} height\\
\> \si{\celsius}
\\
$u_2$ \> mean daily or hourly wind speed at \SI{2}{\metre} height\\
\> \si{\metre\per\second}
\\
$e_\mathrm{s}$ \> saturation vapour pressure at $1.5$ to \SI{2.5}{\metre} height\\
\> kPa
\\
$e_\mathrm{a}$ \> mean actual vapour pressure at $1.5$ to \SI{2.5}{\metre} height\\
\> kPa
\\
$\mathrm{C}_d$ \> constant changing with calculation time step and reference crop \\
\> \si{\second\per\metre}.
\\
\end{tabbing}
%\end{minipage}
\end{document}