# Non-continuous Equation Counters (increment per equation type)

I'm trying to have two separate equation counters, one for TypeA equations and another of TypeB equations. They shouldn't share a counter, but pick up the counter from whichever type they are within.

Note that this is different than continuous sections, subsections, etc. I'm using the amsmath package.

I would like the following (I don't care whether its (1.1, 1.2, ...) or (1a, 1b, ...)):

TypeA 1 (Funky Equation)
a = n (1.1)
b = m (1.2)

TypeB 1 (Crazy Equation)
a = n (1.1)
b = m (1.2)

TypeA 2 (Funkier Equation)
a = n (2.1)
b = m (2.2)

TypeB 2 (Crazies Equation)
a = n (2.1)
b = m (2.2)

TypeB 3 (Crazies Equation)
a = n (3.1)
b = m (3.2)

TypeB 4 (Crazies Equation)
a = n (4.1)
b = m (4.2)

TypeA 3 (Crazy Equation)
a = n (3.1)
b = m (3.2)


I have this in my header:

\newtheorem{typeagroup}{TypeA}
\newtheorem{typea}[typeagroup]{TypeA}
\counterwithout{equation}{typeagroup}

\newtheorem{typebgroup}{TypeB}
\newtheorem{typeb}[typebgroup]{TypeB}
\counterwithout{equation}{typebgroup}


Notice that the counter is only incremented when a TypeB is present. This is because it's the last \counterwithin{} I have in the above definitions.

Here is the format of the code I use for each type of equation:

\begin{typea}[Funky Equation]
\begin{subequations}
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{subequations}
\end{typea}

\begin{typeb}[Crazy Equation]
\begin{subequations}
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{subequations}
\end{typeb}


I get the following:

TypeA 1 (Funky Equation)
a = n (0.1a)
b = m (0.1b)

TypeB 1 (Crazy Equation)
a = n (1.1a)
b = m (1.1b)

TypeA 2 (Funkier Equation)
a = n (1.1a)
b = m (1.1b)

TypeB 2 (Crazies Equation)
a = n (2.1a)
b = m (2.1b)

TypeB 3 (Crazies Equation)
a = n (3.1a)
b = m (3.1b)

TypeB 2 (Crazies Equation)
a = n (2.1a)
b = m (2.1b)

TypeA 3 (Crazy Equation)
a = n (2.1a)
b = m (2.1b)


Define new environments:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\newtheorem{typea*}{Type A}
\newtheorem{typeb*}{Type B}

\newenvironment{typea}
{\setcounter{equation}{\value{typea*}}\begin{subequations}\begin{typea*}}
{\end{typea*}\end{subequations}}
\newenvironment{typeb}
{\setcounter{equation}{\value{typeb*}}\begin{subequations}\begin{typeb*}}
{\end{typeb*}\end{subequations}}

\begin{document}

\begin{typea}[Funky Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typea}

\begin{typeb}[Crazy Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typeb}

\begin{typea}[Funky Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typea}

\begin{typeb}[Crazy Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typeb}

\begin{typeb}[Crazy Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typeb}

\begin{typeb}[Crazy Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typeb}

\begin{typea}[Funky Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typea}

\end{document}


If you also need “regular” equation numbers independent from these, it can be arranged.

It's quite simple to add prefixes:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\newtheorem{typea*}{Type A}
\newtheorem{typeb*}{Type B}

\newenvironment{typea}
{\setcounter{equation}{\value{typea*}}%
\renewcommand{\theequation}{A-\arabic{equation}}%
\begin{subequations}%
\begin{typea*}}
{\end{typea*}\end{subequations}}
\newenvironment{typeb}
{\setcounter{equation}{\value{typeb*}}%
\renewcommand{\theequation}{B-\arabic{equation}}%
\begin{subequations}%
\begin{typeb*}}
{\end{typeb*}\end{subequations}}

\begin{document}

\begin{typea}[Funky Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typea}

\begin{typeb}[Crazy Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typeb}

\begin{typea}[Funky Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typea}

\begin{typeb}[Crazy Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typeb}

\begin{typeb}[Crazy Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typeb}

\begin{typeb}[Crazy Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typeb}

\begin{typea}[Funky Equation]
\begin{align}
a = n \\
b = m
\end{align}
\end{typea}

\end{document}


• Thanks egreg, that worked well. Follow up question: how do I combine phfaist's answer and define a custom counter prefix like A-1a, A-1b; B-1a, B-1b, etc? Thanks – Student Jan 28 '16 at 20:41
• @Student Easy. ;-) – egreg Jan 28 '16 at 21:32
• Thanks @egreg, that works. Anyway of removing the double alph counter? I'm getting A-1aa, A-1bb.... A2-aa, A-2ab, etc. when all I need is A-1a or A-1.1 Thanks! – Student Jan 29 '16 at 13:59
• @Student Since I don't get the doubling, I can't tell you how to remove it. – egreg Jan 29 '16 at 15:54
• Thanks @egreg, not sure why I was getting them but incase others do to, I updated your code with a comment, Thanks! – Student Jan 31 '16 at 18:42

I don't see why you'd like to go via new theorem definitions. You can just define a new counter and alias LaTeX's equation counter to it. Here's my version of a macro \makeeqcontext (adapted from some earlier code I had written for myself at some point):

\makeatletter
\def\makeeqcontext#1#2{%
\edef\tmp@eqcontextcountername{eqcounter#1}%
\expandafter\newcounter{\tmp@eqcontextcountername}%
\expandafter\def\csname #1\endcsname{%
\begingroup%
\expandafter\let\expandafter\c@equation\csname c@eqcounter#1\endcsname%
\renewcommand{\theequation}{#2}%
%
}%
\expandafter\def\csname end#1\endcsname{%
\endgroup%
}
}%
\makeatother


It can be used as follows:

\makeeqcontext{<environment-name>}{<equation-label>}


and it defines a new environment with the given name in which equations have a separate counter with the given label. Here's a fully working example:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\makeatletter
\def\makeeqcontext#1#2{%
\edef\tmp@eqcontextcountername{eqcounter#1}%
\expandafter\newcounter{\tmp@eqcontextcountername}%
\expandafter\def\csname #1\endcsname{%
\begingroup%
\expandafter\let\expandafter\c@equation\csname c@eqcounter#1\endcsname%
\renewcommand{\theequation}{#2}%
%
}%
\expandafter\def\csname end#1\endcsname{%
\endgroup%
}
}%
\makeatother
\makeeqcontext{typea}{A-\arabic{equation}}
\begin{document}
% default equation type:
\begin{align}
a = b
\label{a}
\end{align}
\begin{typea} % equation type A:
\begin{align}
c = d
\label{c}
\end{align}
\end{typea}
\begin{typea} % equation type A:
\begin{subequations}
\begin{align}
e &= f \\
g &= h \label{g}
\end{align}
\end{subequations}
\end{typea}
Reference~\eqref{a}, \eqref{c} and~\eqref{g}.
\end{document}

• Thanks [phfaist], that worked well but I did want to define the equation within theorem definitions, etc, hence the usage. I did like the formatting prefixes in the counter like A-1a you used, and asked about it in my comment above. Thanks – Student Jan 28 '16 at 20:41
• Sure, sorry I didn't realize you wanted theorems in the first place, I thought that was your approach to solving the problem :) – phfaist Jan 29 '16 at 9:46