# aligning the equal signs without numbering each line in latex

Suppose I have something like,

$\therefore$ we have the following:

\begin{align}
2x + 7 &= 5x + 8 \\[0.1in]
&= 2x - 7 \\[0.1in]
&= 4 \\[0.1in]
\end{align}


I randomly made equations up but the point is I want to line up all the equal signs. However when I do something like this it always tabs everything in between the align command all the way to the center of the page when I just when to align the equal signs while not shifting the whole equation over. Also, when I do this it numbers each line which I do not want it to do. Is there a way to align the equal signs without numbering each line and without moving everything over so much?

Template:

\documentclass[12pt]{article}

\newcommand{\myname}{Name: -------}
\newcommand{\course}{-------}
\newcommand{\assignment}{-------}
\newcommand{\probs}{}

\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsthm}
\usepackage{amssymb,latexsym}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{verbatim}
\usepackage{enumerate}
\usepackage[left=1in,right=1in,top=0.75in,bottom=0.5in]{geometry}
\usepackage[dvipsnames,usenames]{color}
\usepackage{ifthen}
\usepackage{enumitem}

\newcommand{\mytitle}{
\begin{flushleft}
\bfseries
\assignment       \hspace*{\fill} \course \hspace*{\fill} \myname\\
\probs    \hspace*{\fill}
\rule[10pt]{\linewidth}{1pt}
\end{flushleft}
}

\markright{\course{} \assignment: \myname}
\newenvironment{exercise}[2][Exercise]
{\begin{trivlist}\item[\hspace{0pt} \textbf{#1}~\textbf{#2.}]}
{\end{trivlist}}

\newcommand{\checkname}
{
\ifthenelse{\equal{\myname}{}}
{
\vspace*{\fill}
\begin{center}
{\LARGE \bf Your name is {\color{BrickRed} \myname}?\\[3pt]
Please change \texttt{\color{BrickRed} \textbackslash myname} and re-process.}
\end{center}
\vspace*{\fill}
\end{document}
\newpage
}
{}
}

\begin{document}
\thispagestyle{empty}
\mytitle

\renewcommand{\qedsymbol}{}

\end{document}

• Without numbering, you just have to use the align* environment. For the other question: do you want to have the alignment within the text flow or on a separate, left aligned display? – Bernard Sep 15 '14 at 22:05
• I would just like to have it pretty much how I have it as above except all the equal signs are aligned. In other words the first equation is touching the left margin just like the $\therefore$ part. – user62563 Sep 15 '14 at 22:35
• Or use \notag if you want some numbered and some not. – JPi Sep 15 '14 at 23:29

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb,showframe}     %% show frame just for demo
\begin{document}
\noindent
$\therefore$ we have the following:
\begin{flalign*}
& \begin{aligned}
2x + 7 &= 5x + 8 \\[0.1in]
&= 2x - 7 \\[0.1in]
&= 4 %\\[0.1in]
\end{aligned}
&
\end{flalign*}
\end{document}


\documentclass[12pt]{article}

\newcommand{\myname}{Name: -------}
\newcommand{\course}{-------}
\newcommand{\assignment}{-------}
\newcommand{\probs}{}

\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsthm}
\usepackage{amssymb,latexsym}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{verbatim}
\usepackage{enumerate}
\usepackage[left=1in,right=1in,top=0.75in,bottom=0.5in]{geometry}
\usepackage[dvipsnames,usenames]{color}
\usepackage{ifthen}
\usepackage{enumitem}

\newcommand{\mytitle}{
\begin{flushleft}
\bfseries
\assignment       \hspace*{\fill} \course \hspace*{\fill} \myname\\
\probs    \hspace*{\fill}
\rule[10pt]{\linewidth}{1pt}
\end{flushleft}
}

\markright{\course{} \assignment: \myname}
\newenvironment{exercise}[2][Exercise]
{\begin{trivlist}\item[\hspace{0pt} \textbf{#1}~\textbf{#2.}]}
{\end{trivlist}}

\newcommand{\checkname}
{
\ifthenelse{\equal{\myname}{}}
{
\vspace*{\fill}
\begin{center}
{\LARGE \bf Your name is {\color{BrickRed} \myname}?\\[3pt]
Please change \texttt{\color{BrickRed} \textbackslash myname} and re-process.}
\end{center}
\vspace*{\fill}
\end{document}
\newpage
}
{}
}

\begin{document}
\thispagestyle{empty}
\mytitle

\renewcommand{\qedsymbol}{}

\noindent
$\therefore$ we have the following:
\begin{flalign*}
& \begin{aligned}
2x + 7 &= 5x + 8 \\[0.1in]
&= 2x - 7 \\[0.1in]
&= 4 %\\[0.1in]
\end{aligned}
&
\end{flalign*}

\end{document}


• Hmm I did that and did not get an error but it didn't move it to the left at all. Maybe something in my template is making it do that. I will post my template with my question and maybe you can see if there is something there causing it to do that. Otherwise I have no idea. – user62563 Sep 15 '14 at 23:01
• @user62563 With your template, it works too. – user11232 Sep 15 '14 at 23:08
• I'm asking why: (1) people want to be cryptic by using strange symbols instead of plain words; (2) those formulas should be left aligned. – egreg Sep 15 '14 at 23:11
• Thats so strange that it works for you. Wander why its not putting mine to the left. – user62563 Sep 15 '14 at 23:15
• @egreg It wasn't my choice, :-) – user11232 Sep 15 '14 at 23:17