# One-column Table in two-column paper (margin problem)

I am preparing to send a two column article to a springer journal, I faced a margin problem as shown in the image. How can I benefit from the space between the columns to handle this problem?

\RequirePackage{fix-cm}
\documentclass[natbib,twocolumn]{svjour3}          % twocolumn
\smartqed  % flush right qed marks, e.g. at end of proof
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{graphics}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\hypersetup{draft}
\begin{document}
\begin{abstract}
results obtained with simulated data are presented and discussed.

\keywords{keyword1 \and keyword1}
% \PACS{PACS code1 \and PACS code2 \and more}
% \subclass{MSC code1 \and MSC code2 \and more}
\end{abstract}

\section{Introduction}
\label{intro}
The purpose of these notes is to provide an introduction to to stochastic differential equations (SDEs) from applied point of view. Because the aim is in applications, much more emphasis is put into solution methods than to analysis of the theoretical
properties of the equations. From pedagogical point of view the purpose of these notes is to provide an intuitive understanding in what SDEs are all about, and if the reader wishes to learn the formal theory later, he/she can read, for example, the
%-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\begin{table}[ht!]
\caption{Illustrative calculation for Numerical Example 2}
\label{tab:Example 2}
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{ll}
\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
Steps & Numerical computation\\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
\textbf{Input} &  Given $\mathbf{U}|_{\theta=0.5} = \begin{bmatrix} -1 & 1 & 0.2298 & 0.5000 & 0.7702 & 0.1250 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
\textbf{4:} & Compute\\
& $\mathbf{v} = \begin{bmatrix} -2.7063 & 1.0000 & 0.2298 & 0.5000 & 0.7702 & 0.1250 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
\textbf{6:} & Compute\\
& $\mathbf{u} = \begin{bmatrix} -0.8905 & 0.3290 & 0.0756 & 0.1645 & 0.2534 & 0.0411 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
\textbf{7:} & Compute $\mathbf{H}_u^T =$\\
& $\begin{bmatrix} -0.5861 & 0.5861 & 0.1347 & 0.2930 & 0.4513 & 0.0733\\ 0.5861 & 0.7835 & -0.0498 & -0.1038 & -0.1668 & -0.0271\\ 0.1347 & -0.0498 & 0.9886 & -0.0249 & -0.0383 & -0.0062\\0.2930 & -0.1083 & -0.0249 & 0.9459 & -0.0834 & -0.0135\\ 0.4513 & -0.1668 & -0.0383 & -0.0834 & 0.8716 & -0.0208\\ 0.0733 & -0.0271 & -0.0062 & -0.0135 & -0.0208 & 0.9966 \end{bmatrix}$\\
\textbf{8:} & Compute: $\mathbf{R} = \begin{bmatrix} 1.7063 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
\textbf{10:} & Extract $\mathbf{Q} = \mathbf{Q}(1,1:6) =$\\
& $\begin{bmatrix} -0.5861 & 0.5861 & 0.1347 & 0.2930 & -0.4513 & 0.0.733 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
\textbf{11:} & Extract $\mathbf{R} = \mathbf{R}(1,1)=1.7063$ \\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
\textbf{Out} & $\mathbf{v}$ (Line 4), $\mathbf{u}$ (Line 6), $\mathbf{Q}$ (Line 10), $\mathbf{R}$ (Line 11) \\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
\end{table}
%--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

\end{document}

• Could you post a MWE so that we can provide an answer? May 15 '17 at 21:19
• What do you mean by "to benefit"? May 15 '17 at 21:20
• @ Dr. Manuel Kuehner, eliminate the space between columns. May 15 '17 at 21:31
• This is not a minimal code. It's easier for the people here if you only present the relevant code. Remove everything that is not needed in order to show the problem May 15 '17 at 21:34
• I see nothing better than using \scriptsize for the table, unless you want to switch to a narrower font such as Times. May 15 '17 at 21:45

You can specify the space between the table columns with @{<space>}. So @{} would kill all space between columns and @{\hspace{2.0\tabcolsep}} would be the default between two columns. On the left and right edge @{\hspace{1.0\tabcolsep}} would represent the default value.

I demonstrate the use and effect below with an unmodified table to compare it to.

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{  c  c  c  }
\hline
test & test & test \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

\begin{tabular}{ @{} c @{\hspace{2.0\tabcolsep}}  c @{\hspace{1.0\tabcolsep}} c @{\hspace{1.0\tabcolsep}}  }
\hline
test & test & test \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{document}


For your example I would kill all the space before the first and after the last column. Like it is done in the example for a good designed table in the booktabs manual. If that is not enough you could also reduce the spacing between the columns you already marked. I took the liberty to take part of your code and adapt it to make it compilable and show it with your table.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}

\begin{table}[ht!]
\caption{old Table}
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{ll}
\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
Steps & Numerical computation\\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
\textbf{7:} & Compute $\mathbf{H}_u^T =$\\
& $\begin{bmatrix} -0.5861 & 0.5861 & 0.1347 & 0.2930 & 0.4513 & 0.0733\\ 0.5861 & 0.7835 & -0.0498 & -0.1038 & -0.1668 & -0.0271\\ 0.1347 & -0.0498 & 0.9886 & -0.0249 & -0.0383 & -0.0062\\0.2930 & -0.1083 & -0.0249 & 0.9459 & -0.0834 & -0.0135\\ 0.4513 & -0.1668 & -0.0383 & -0.0834 & 0.8716 & -0.0208\\ 0.0733 & -0.0271 & -0.0062 & -0.0135 & -0.0208 & 0.9966 \end{bmatrix}$\\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
\end{table}

\begin{table}[ht!]
\caption{new Table}
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{@{}l@{\hspace{1.0\tabcolsep}}l@{}}
\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
Steps & Numerical computation\\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
\textbf{7:} & Compute $\mathbf{H}_u^T =$\\
& $\begin{bmatrix} -0.5861 & 0.5861 & 0.1347 & 0.2930 & 0.4513 & 0.0733\\ 0.5861 & 0.7835 & -0.0498 & -0.1038 & -0.1668 & -0.0271\\ 0.1347 & -0.0498 & 0.9886 & -0.0249 & -0.0383 & -0.0062\\0.2930 & -0.1083 & -0.0249 & 0.9459 & -0.0834 & -0.0135\\ 0.4513 & -0.1668 & -0.0383 & -0.0834 & 0.8716 & -0.0208\\ 0.0733 & -0.0271 & -0.0062 & -0.0135 & -0.0208 & 0.9966 \end{bmatrix}$\\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
\end{table}

\end{document}


As mention @egreg in his comment, your table is to big and only reduction of font size (to \scriptsize) can help to fit your table into one column ...

With some changes in your code as:

• use tabularx instead tabular
• reduction \tabcolsep to 1pt
• reduction \arraycolsep to 2pt

you can use \footnotesize for font size:

\documentclass[natbib,twocolumn]{article}   % instead svjour3 which I havent
\usepackage{graphicx}
%\usepackage{graphics}% it is surplus
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{booktabs,tabularx}% <-- new
\usepackage{ragged2e}% <-- new

\usepackage[colorlinks,citecolor=blue]{hyperref}% had to be on the end of preamble
%--------------------------------------------------
\hypersetup{draft}

\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}

\section{Introduction}
\label{intro}

\lipsum[1-4]
%--------------------------------------------------
\begin{table}[ht]
\caption{Illustrative calculation for Numerical Example 2 (St.: Steps, In.: Input)}
\label{tab:Example 2}
\centering
\footnotesize%scriptsize
\setlength\tabcolsep{1pt}
\setlength\arraycolsep{2pt}
\begin{tabularx}{\linewidth}{>{\bfseries}l>{\RaggedRight}X}
\toprule
\normalfont St.
& Numerical computation\\
\midrule
In  &   Given

$\mathbf{U}|_{\theta=0.5} = \begin{bmatrix} -1 & 1 & 0.2298 & 0.5000 & 0.7702 & 0.1250 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
4:  & Compute\\
& $\mathbf{v} = \begin{bmatrix} -2.7063 & 1.0000 & 0.2298 & 0.5000 & 0.7702 & 0.1250 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
6:  & Compute\\
& $\mathbf{u} = \begin{bmatrix} -0.8905 & 0.3290 & 0.0756 & 0.1645 & 0.2534 & 0.0411 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
7:  & Compute $\mathbf{H}_u^T =$\\
&   $\begin{bmatrix} -0.5861 & 0.5861 & 0.1347 & 0.2930 & 0.4513 & 0.0733\\ 0.5861 & 0.7835 & -0.0498 & -0.1038 & -0.1668 & -0.0271\\ 0.1347 & -0.0498 & 0.9886 & -0.0249 & -0.0383 & -0.0062\\ 0.2930 & -0.1083 & -0.0249 & 0.9459 & -0.0834 & -0.0135\\ 0.4513 & -0.1668 & -0.0383 & -0.0834 & 0.8716 & -0.0208\\ 0.0733 & -0.0271 & -0.0062 & -0.0135 & -0.0208 & 0.9966 \end{bmatrix}$\\
8:  & Compute:
$\mathbf{R} = \begin{bmatrix} 1.7063 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
10: & Extract $\mathbf{Q} = \mathbf{Q}(1,1:6) =$\\
& $\begin{bmatrix} -0.5861 & 0.5861 & 0.1347 & 0.2930 & -0.4513 & 0.0.733 \end{bmatrix}^T$\\
11: & Extract $\mathbf{R} = \mathbf{R}(1,1)=1.7063$ \\
\midrule
Out & $\mathbf{v}$ (Line 4), $\mathbf{u}$ (Line 6), $\mathbf{Q}$ (Line 10), $\mathbf{R}$ (Line 11) \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabularx}
\end{table}
%--------------------------------------------------
\lipsum[4]
\end{document}


and obtain:

.png