How to set the position of an equation in LaTeX?

In normal equation I do not have any problem. However for long equation I need to use figure so that my equation appear more obviously. (Note: I am using two column paper style).

This is the equation style that I use:

\documentclass[journal]{IEEEtran}

\usepackage{cite}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{refstyle}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}

\title{\huge Single line equation in two column paper}

\maketitle

\section{First} \label{first}

\lipsum[1-6]

\begin{figure*}[t]
\normalsize
\begin{align} \label{eqn1}
Long_{eqn}^{1} &=  aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa \nonumber\\
&+ bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb + bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb +bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb +bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb \nonumber\\
&+ ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc  +ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc+  ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc + ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc .
\end{align}
\end{figure*}

\lipsum[2-5]

\section{Second} \label{second}

\lipsum[3-8]

\begin{figure*}[t]
\normalsize
\begin{align} \label{eqn2}
Long_{eqn}^{2} &=  aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa \nonumber\\
&+ bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb + bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb +bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb  bbb +bbb  bbb bbb  bbb bbb \nonumber\\
&+ ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc  +ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc+  ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc + ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc  ccc ccc .
\end{align}
\end{figure*}

\lipsum[4-8]

\end{document}


My problem is that; I can't put this equation in its actual position. It will be either on the top or bottom of the next page. I want it to be in its normal position.

I have checked previous related questions, such as (How to influence the position of float environments like figure and table in LaTeX?) and (How to use the placement options [t], [h] with figures?), but non of them was useful to my case. Therefore, I preferred to ask this question.

• If you don't want the equation to float about, then don't put it in a floating environment. If you just want to give it some extra space, then you could use \smallskip, \medskip or \bigskip before it and/or after it. – Thruston Apr 13 '15 at 10:17
• Are you just trying to add space and rule around the equation? – Andrew Swann Apr 13 '15 at 10:17
• @Thruston As the equation is too long, it will cover both columns completely. Therefore, I should use this representation style. – sky-light Apr 13 '15 at 10:22
• Ah multicolumns! can you please post a proper MWE that shows the problem. – Thruston Apr 13 '15 at 10:27
• – Thruston Apr 13 '15 at 10:30

I think a better solution would be to use the cuted package from the sttools bundle. It is dedicated to insert some material full-width in a twocolumn environment:

\documentclass[journal]{IEEEtran}

\usepackage{cite}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{refstyle}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{cuted, nccmath}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\setlength\stripsep{3pt plus 1pt minus 1pt}

\begin{document}

\title{\huge Single line equation in two column paper}

\maketitle

\section{First} \label{first}

\lipsum[1-6]
\begin{strip}
\begin{align} \label{eqn1}
Long_{eqn}¹ & = aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa \nonumber \\
& + bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb + bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb +bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb +bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb \nonumber \\
& + ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc +ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc+ ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc + ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc .
\end{align}
\end{strip}
%
\lipsum[2-5]

\section{Second} \label{second}

\lipsum[3-8]
\begin{strip}
\normalsize
\begin{align} \label{eqn2}
Long_{eqn}² & = aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa + aaa aaa aaa aaa \nonumber \\
& + bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb + bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb +bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb +bbb bbb bbb bbb bbb \nonumber \\
& + ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc +ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc+ ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc + ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc ccc .
\end{align}
\end{strip}
\lipsum[4-8]

\end{document}


• I think the code that you provided is my own code without changes. – sky-light Apr 13 '15 at 16:56
• Oh! Sorry! Bad copy-paste. I'll change it at once. – Bernard Apr 13 '15 at 16:59
• It works perfectly. – sky-light Apr 13 '15 at 17:11