# \align* environment in array column

So, I'm trying to make a column in my tabular environment be in \begin{align*} \end{align*}.

Been trying a few different things, but, I'm still a bit new to LaTeX. I'm still playing around a lot trying to learn. Therefore some short explanation on where I went wrong would be really nice.

So here is the thing I ended up with:

\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{array} %I think these two are the only relevant packages for this problem.

\newcommand{\eq}[1]{\begin{align*}#1\end{align*}} %Redefining align* sens >{dec}<{dec}
%don't like extra {}

\begin{document}
\begin{table}

\caption{some cool caption} %guess this isn't relevant but..

\begin{tabular*}{\textwidth} %Having a twocolumn doc so...
{|>{$}l<{$}|
*{2}{m{0.28\textwidth}|
>{\eq\bgroup}m{0.129\textwidth}<{\egroup}|}}

%The last column is where the magic is supposed to happen
%I'm also using multicolumns, not that I think it matters.
\frac{Cool}{equations} & Cool text & cool text & \frac{cool equations}{Broken column :'(
} \\
The coolness will be repeated for a few rows    \\

\end{tabular*}
\end{table}
\end{document}


Is it just easier to just use \eq in every column? The errors I get is: Missing } inserted. & \frac; Missing $inserted.; Extra }, or forgotten$.; Any help is welcome, and if the problem is not solvable maybe just a line or two where I went wrong in my thinking would really help me learn.

Best regards EDIT: Adding what my code actually looks like and the result it produces. My issue is that some columns look really ugly and I would like the second line of the cell to be centered (Which I assume the align* environment would do). I tried to use the \newcolumntype{C}{>{$}c<{$}}, but, it only gave me errors when I then changed >{$}m<{$} for C, or, just changed m to c. I hope this helps in clarifying what I'm trying to do.

\noindent%
\begin{table}[!b]
\begin{center}
\onecolumn
\caption{Tables showing the different outcomes from changing the retention (re) and $k_{3}$ parameters in the aging model of \textit{S. cerevisiae}.
The model was constructed using the \citetitle{math} program with \citetitle{sbml}.}
\label{table:daughter}
\end{center}
\begin{tabular*}{\textwidth}{|>{$}l<{$}|
*{2}{m{0.28\textwidth}|
>{$}m{0.129\textwidth}<{$}|}}
\cline{2-5}
\multicolumn{1}{c|}{}
& \multicolumn{4}{c|}{Daughter}                                         \\
\cline{2-5}
\multicolumn{1}{c|}{}
&   \multicolumn{2}{c|}{$re=0$}
&   \multicolumn{2}{c|}{$re=0.875$}                             \\
\hline
k_{3}=0
&   \smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{daughterC1,0.jpg}
&   \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
=\frac{25}{3}=8.\overline{3}\approx8
&   \smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{daughterC2,0.jpg}
&   \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
=\frac{25}{3}=8.\overline{3}\approx8 \\
\hline
k_{3}=1.6
&
\smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{daughterC1,16.jpg}
& \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
=\frac{14}{3}=4.\overline{6}\approx4.7
&   \smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{daughterC2,16.jpg}
& \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
=\frac{16}{3}=5.\overline{3}\approx5\\
\hline
k_{3}=2.3
&
\smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{daughterC1,25.jpg}
&\frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
=\frac{1}{3}=0.\overline{3}
& \smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{daughterC2,25.jpg}
& \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
=\frac{1}{3}=0.\overline{3}\\
\hline
\end{tabular*}
\begin{tabular*}{\textwidth}{|>{$}l<{$}|
*{2}{m{0.28\textwidth}|>{$}m{0.129\textwidth}<{$}|}}
\cline{2-5}
\multicolumn{1}{c|}{}
& \multicolumn{4}{c|}{Mother}                                         \\
\cline{2-5}
\multicolumn{1}{c|}{}
&   \multicolumn{2}{c|}{$re=0$}
&   \multicolumn{2}{c|}{$re=0.875$}                             \\
\hline
k_{3}=0
&   \smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{motherC1,0.jpg}
&   \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
\frac{53}{3}=17.\overline{3}\approx17
&   \smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{motherC2,0.jpg}
&   \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
\frac{53}{3}=17.\overline{3}\approx17                   \\
\hline
k_{3}=1.6
&
\smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{motherC1,16.jpg}
& \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
\frac{6}{3}=2
&   \smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{motherC2,16.jpg}
& \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
\frac{3}{3}=1 \\
\hline
k_{3}=2.3
&
\smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{motherC1,23.jpg}
& \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
=\frac{1}{3}=0.\overline{3}
& \smallskip
\includegraphics[width=\hsize]{motherC2,23.jpg}
& \frac{\text{Number of division}}{\text{3 time units}}=\linebreak
=\frac{1}{3}=0.\overline{3} \\
\hline
\end{tabular*}

\end{table}
\twocolumn


[

• I am not sure this will work at all even outside of a tabular environment
– user31729
Oct 3 '15 at 8:26
• You shouldn't be using align: just math mode is sufficient in the formula columns. Oct 3 '15 at 11:01
• Ye I did that before, but, I thought that it was a bit ugly in some of the cells. But then again, maybe I should just be less picky with the esthetics. Oct 3 '15 at 11:05

Your definition of column types have some mismatch, the following work fine:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{report}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{array,mdwtab} %I think these two are the only relevant packages for this problem.

\begin{document}
\begin{table}[h]\centering
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.5}
\caption{some cool caption} %guess this isn't relevant but..
\label{tab:important}
\begin{tabular}{|Ml|% with use of mdwtab
*{2}{m{0.28\textwidth}|}
Ml|}
\hline %just for better see table ...
%The last column is where the magic is supposed to happen
%I'm also using multicolumns, not that I think it matters.
\frac{Cool}{equations}
& Cool text
& cool text
& \frac{cool\ equations}{Broken\ column} \\
\hline%
\multicolumn{4}{|c|}{with use of mdwtab}    \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\\
\begin{tabular}{|>{$}l<{$}|%
*{2}{m{0.28\textwidth}|}
>{$}l<{$}|}
\hline %just for better see table ...
%The last column is where the magic is supposed to happen
%I'm also using multicolumns, not that I think it matters.
\frac{Cool}{equations}
& Cool text
& cool text
& \frac{cool\ equations}{Broken\ column} \\
\hline%
\multicolumn{4}{|c|}{without use of mdwtab}    \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\\
\begin{tabular*}{\textwidth}{|>{$}l<{$}|% without use of mdwtab
*{2}{m{0.28\textwidth}|}
>{$}l<{$}|}
\hline %just for better see table ...
%The last column is where the magic is supposed to happen
%I'm also using multicolumns, not that I think it matters.
\frac{Cool}{equations}
& Cool text
& cool text
& \frac{cool\ equations}{Broken\ column} \\
\hline%
\multicolumn{4}{|c|}{with use of tabular*}    \\
\hline
\end{tabular*}


If you like to have displayed equations, than is sufficient to say >{$\displaystyle}l<{$}:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{report}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{array}

\begin{document}
\begin{table}[h]\centering
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{2}
\caption{some cool caption} %guess this isn't relevant but..
\label{tab:important}
\begin{tabular*}{\textwidth}{|>{$\displaystyle}l<{$}|%
*{2}{p{0.2\textwidth}|}
>{$\displaystyle}l<{$}|}
\frac{Cool}{equations}
& Cool text
& cool text
& \frac{cool\ equations}{Broken\ column}
\end{tabular*}
\end{table}
\end{document}


If you need structure in cells provided with amsmath's environments as are multi line equation, than is better (to my opinion) to write in cell (with colum type for example >{$}m{\0.2\textwidth}<{$}) something like:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{report}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{array}

\begin{document}
\begin{table}[h]\centering
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{2}
\caption{some cool caption} %guess this isn't relevant but..
\label{tab:important}
\begin{tabular*}{\textwidth}{|>{$\displaystyle}l<{$}|%
*{2}{p{0.2\textwidth}|}
>{$\displaystyle}l<{$}|}
\frac{Cool}{equations}
& Cool text
& cool text
& \begin{aligned}
x & = \frac{cool\ equations}{Broken\ column}\\
& = second\ line\ of\ equation\end{aligned}
\end{tabular*}
\end{table}


• Hi! Thank you for taking your time and helping me. I will scrutinize your solutions, the packages you suggest and test it out/play around with it! I have also realized that it would probably just have been smarter of me to post what I'm actually doing, even thou I thought it would be a---too big and too messy post then. Oct 3 '15 at 11:01

If you do

\newcommand{\eq}[1]{...}


you can't call it like

\eq\bgroup ... \egroup


under any circumstance.

You can use the collcell package and not align* (which would add huge spaces above and below it), but a centered aligned.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{array} %I think these two are the only relevant packages for this problem.
\usepackage{collcell}

\newcommand{\eq}[1]{\centering\begin{aligned}#1\end{aligned}}

\begin{document}
\begin{table*}

\caption{some cool caption} %guess this isn't relevant but..

\begin{tabular}{
|>{$}l<{$}|
>{\collectcell\eq}m{0.3\textwidth}<{\endcollectcell}|
}
\frac{Cool}{equations} & \frac{cool equations}{Broken column} \tabularnewline
\end{tabular}
\end{table*}
\end{document}


Note that you are using the * the other way around: for a one column table in a two column setting, use table*. The tabular* environment is for a different thing.

It's still not clear to me what you hope to fit in 13% of the text width.

• Hi, Thank you for taking your time to help me. I have posten the original code I'm working with and added a picture of the issue as well as some text to clarify! Oct 3 '15 at 10:56