How to adjust the section numbering (as in skipping a couple of section numbers) when using letters instead of numerals for section numbering?

Question

I have changed the section numbering from numerals to letters with the command

\renewcommand{\thesection}{\alph{section})}

in the preamble. For example, the first \section{} would be printed like this in the pdf:

a)

I am interested in skipping a couple of sections in the document. For example, lets say sections b) and c) such that the section numbering after a) would be d). Thus the result of another \section{} command in the preceeding example would render the following output in the pdf:

a)

d)

How can this be done in LaTeX?

Best regards,

Gus

Answer 1

\documentclass{article}

\renewcommand{\thesection}{\alph{section})}


\begin{document}

\section{First}

\addtocounter{section}{2}

\section{Second, but counted as fourth}

\end{document}

Another approach uses more 'configurability':

\documentclass{article}

\renewcommand{\thesection}{\alph{section})}

\newcounter{sectionstoskip}
\setcounter{sectionstoskip}{2}

\begin{document}
    \section{First}
    \addtocounter{section}{\value{sectionstoskip}}
    \section{Second, but counted as fourth}
    \addtocounter{section}{\value{sectionstoskip}}
    \section{Third, but counted even otherwise}
 \end{document}

If the sections should not be skipped any more, just use \setcounter{sectionstoskip}{0} in the beginning.