A table not displayed correctly

Question

I provide two attempts at code to make a table with 4 rows and 5 columns. There are several unexpected features in the tables that are displayed. In both tabular environments, I have \begin{tabular}{|| l | l | l | l | l | l ||} \hline; so I would expect to have 5 vertical lines separating the columns. I only have two vertical lines separating a pair of adjacent columns. I have a double vertical line on the left side of the table but not on the right side. I include code like p{3cm} in each column to specify the width of each column and allow the column header to be typeset on two lines so that the table can fit within the margins. These commands are mostly ignored.

There is one modification that I would like to add to the table. Instead of the numbers in the second column and the check marks in the third, fourth, and fifth columns being displayed along the left edge of each column, I would like them to be centered. I used l because I did want the column headers to be aligned along the left edge of the columns.

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{adjustbox}
\usepackage{mathtools}

\usepackage{makecell}
\usepackage{boldline}
\setcellgapes{3pt}

\begin{document}
\noindent \hspace*{\fill}
\makegapedcells
\begin{tabular}{|| l p{3cm} |  l p{2.5cm} | l p{3cm} | l p{2.5cm} | l p{2cm} | l p{2cm} ||} \hline
\multicolumn{5}{|| c ||}{{\bf Inventory of Clocks and Frequency of Chimes}} \\ \Xhline{0.8pt}
        & Number of clocks  &   Chimes $n$ times on the $n^{\mathrm{th}}$ hour  &   Chimes once on the hour     &   Chimes once on the half-hour \\ \hline
Type A  &   10              &   \checkmark                                               &                               &   \checkmark \\ \hline
Type B  &   5               &   \checkmark                                               &                               &   \\ \hline
Type C  &   3               &                                                   &   \checkmark                           &   \checkmark \\ \hline
\end{tabular}
\hspace{\fill}
\vskip0.25in

\noindent \hspace*{\fill}
\makegapedcells
\begin{tabular}{|| l |  l p{2.5cm} | l p{3cm} | l p{2.5cm} | l p{2cm} | l p{2cm} ||} \hline
\multicolumn{5}{|| c ||}{{\bf Inventory of Clocks and Frequency of Chimes}} \\ \Xhline{0.8pt}
        & Number of clocks  &   Chimes $n$ times on the $n^{\mathrm{th}}$ hour  &   Chimes once on the hour     &   Chimes once on the half-hour \\ \hline
Type A  &   10              &   \checkmark                                               &                               &   \checkmark \\ \hline
Type B  &   5               &   \checkmark                                               &                               &   \\ \hline
Type C  &   3               &                                                   &   \checkmark                           &   \checkmark \\ \hline
\end{tabular}
\hspace{\fill}    

\end{document}

Answer 1

You had specified 12 columns in the preamble, but only supplied 5 columns of data.

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{adjustbox}
\usepackage{mathtools}

\usepackage{array}


\begin{document}
\centering

\setlength\extrarowheight{2pt}
\begin{tabular}{|| p{2cm} |  p{2cm} | p{2cm} | p{2.5cm} | p{2cm} ||} \hline
\multicolumn{5}{|| c ||}{\textbf{Inventory of Clocks and Frequency of Chimes}} \\ \hline
        & Number of clocks  &   Chimes $n$ times on the $n^{\mathrm{th}}$ hour  &   Chimes once on the hour     &   Chimes once on the half-hour \\ \hline
Type A  &   10              &   \checkmark                                               &                               &   \checkmark \\ \hline
Type B  &   5               &   \checkmark                                               &                               &   \\ \hline
Type C  &   3               &                                                   &   \checkmark                           &   \checkmark \\ \hline
\end{tabular}

\bigskip



\end{document}

Answer 2

I would simplify and re-organize the table's structure along the following two bullet points:

• Use a tabularx environment with four equally wide data columns, and adjust the column count accordingly. Note that it is possible to have c as the column type for the body of the table along with P (a modified form of the X column type) for the header cells. The P column type allows automatic line breaking while setting its contents ragged-right, which is what I understand is what you want for the header.

• Omit all vertical lines, omit all horizontal lines in the interior of the table, and use the rule-drawing macros of the booktabs package to draw the remaining horizontal lines.

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{tabularx,booktabs}
\newcolumntype{P}{>{\raggedright\arraybackslash}X}

\begin{document}
\noindent
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{ l cccc } 
\toprule
& \multicolumn{4}{ c }{{\bfseries Inventory of Clocks and Frequency of Chimes}} \\ 
\cmidrule(l){2-5}
& \multicolumn{1}{P}{Number of clocks}
& \multicolumn{1}{P}{Chimes $n$ times on the $n^{\mathrm{th}}$ hour}  
& \multicolumn{1}{P}{Chimes once on the hour} 
& \multicolumn{1}{P}{Chimes once on the half-hour} \\ 
\midrule
Type A  &   10 &   \checkmark & \checkmark & \\ 
Type B  &   5  &   \checkmark &  &  \\ 
Type C  &   3  &  &   \checkmark &   \checkmark \\ 
\bottomrule
\end{tabularx}

\end{document}

---

Addendum: Speaking for myself, I think the table's appearance could be improved further by centering the material in the header cells as well. This may be achieved by using \centering instead of \raggedright in the definition of the P column type.

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{tabularx,booktabs}
\newcolumntype{P}{>{\centering\arraybackslash}X}

\begin{document}
\noindent
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{@{} l cccc @{}} 
\toprule
& \multicolumn{4}{ c }{{\bfseries Inventory of Clocks and Frequency of Chimes}} \\ 
\cmidrule(l){2-5}
& \multicolumn{1}{P}{Number of clocks}
& \multicolumn{1}{P}{Chimes $n$ times on the $n^{\mathrm{th}}$ hour}  
& \multicolumn{1}{P}{Chimes once on the hour} 
& \multicolumn{1}{P@{}}{Chimes once on the half-hour} \\ 
\midrule
Type A  &   10 &   \checkmark & \checkmark & \\ 
Type B  &   5  &   \checkmark &  &  \\ 
Type C  &   3  &  &   \checkmark &   \checkmark \\ 
\bottomrule
\end{tabularx}

\end{document}