# Using \left after array to increase bracket } size

I want to use \left to increase the size of a bracket } after an array. I don't want to use commands like \Big as shown in the example. The reason why is that I will use this several times for different arrays with various lengths.

The first part of the code is my unsuccesful try.

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

$\begin{array}{c} f(x) \\ g(x) \\ h(x) \end{array}\left\}\right. = \ldots$

$\begin{array}{c} f(x) \\ g(x) \\ h(x) \end{array}\Bigg\} = \ldots$

\end{document}


You also can use one of \big, \Big, \bigg, \Biggl/r, or one of the rcases, drcases, rcases*, drcases* environment from mathtools, or the empheq environment from the homonymous package.

Note, you don't have to load amsmath in these cases,, since empheq loads mathtools, which in turn loads amsmath.

Examples:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{empheq} %

\begin{document}

$\begin{rcases} f(x) \\ g(x) \\ \frac{h(x)}{k(x)} % \end{rcases}\qquad \begin{drcases} f(x) \\ g(x) \\ \frac{h(x)}{k(x)} % \end{drcases}$%

\begin{empheq}[right=\empheqrbrace\text{\footnotesize by hypothesis}]{align*}
a  & = b + c \\
x &  = u + v + w \\
d &  = e + f
\end{empheq}

\end{document}


• Thank you very much! I didn't know about the rcases and dcases and also about empheq. Sep 18 '16 at 13:32
• You definitely should take a look at the documentations. The number of tools for fine tuning of math formulae is really impressive. Sep 18 '16 at 13:34

I figured an answer myself but anyway descided to post the question since it might be useful for someone else.

When you use \left \right to adjust the size of a bracket you use . If you want to increase the size of a bracket to the left of an array you use

$\left\{\begin{array}{c} f(x) \\ g(x) \\ h(x) \end{array}\right. = \ldots$


and if you want (like in the question) to incrase the size of a bracket to the right of an array you put the . to the left:

$\left.\begin{array}{c} f(x) \\ g(x) \\ h(x) \end{array}\right\}$


The sad part is that sometimes \left and \right make the brackets too big.