# How to use a label to a enumerate?

I want to put a label to an enumerate, of three items, to use later as if it were an equation.

As a first solution I tried to put a label on the item in the middle, but such item is longer than the rest and it needs your lines.

My current solution is working, but it is not elegant at all:

\label{en:Moves} \begin{aligned} &\textnormal{1. An MD trajectory of the D real particles while one of them is removed.}\\ &\textnormal{\parbox{12.3cm}{2. An MD trajectory of the D real particles while a new particle is inserted making a reservoir particle become real.}}\\ &\textnormal{3. An MD trajectory of the D real particles.} \end{aligned}


This is the ouput that I amn getting:

I would like to have the second item with the word "making" aligned with the other items.

• Wouldn't \begin{enumerate}...\end{enumerate} not be simpler? – user31729 Jan 30 '18 at 20:06
• Many thanks Werner, this is exactly what I was looking for! – mariofp77 Jan 30 '18 at 21:26
• If you ask this kind of questions, you might should consider reading ctan.org/pkg/lshort-english or a similar text. – CampanIgnis Jan 30 '18 at 23:37

Just use enumerate and put labels after each \item:

I left the \parbox approach if you insist on it, but I do not recommend.

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}

\begin{enumerate}
\item An MD trajectory of the $D$ real particles while one of them is removed.\label{item1}
\item \parbox{12.3cm}{An MD trajectory of the $D$ real particles while a new particle is inserted making a reservoir particle become real.}\label{item2}
\item An MD trajectory of the $D$ real particles while a new particle is inserted making a reservoir particle become real.
\item An MD trajectory of the $D$ real particles.\label{item3}
\end{enumerate}

See items~\ref{item1},\ref{item2}, and \ref{item3}

\end{document}

• Many thanks, but this is not what I was looking for, I want one label for the three items. – mariofp77 Jan 30 '18 at 21:25

A slightly odd thing to do, but I suppose you could put a minipage inside an equation environment.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
$$\label{en:Moves} \begin{minipage}{0.9\textwidth} \begin{enumerate} \item An MD trajectory of the D real particles while one of them is removed. \item An MD trajectory of the D real particles while a new particle is inserted making a reservoir particle become real. \item An MD trajectory of the D real particles. \end{enumerate} \end{minipage}$$
\end{document}

• Many thanks, this is a very good idea, but I like better Werner's answer to my first comment. – mariofp77 Jan 30 '18 at 21:27