# align* environment issues

I cannot see what is wrong with the following and would appreciate any pointers.

\documentclass[margin=1mm]{standalone}

\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{blkarray, bigstrut}
\usepackage{setspace}

\begin{document}
\setstretch{1.3}
%\begin{align*} \begin{blockarray}{ccccc} & A_{1} & A_{2} & A_{3} & A_{4} \\ \begin{block}{c[cccc]} q_{1} & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 \bigstrut[t] \\ q_{2} & 1 & 1 & 1 & 0 \\ q_{3} & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 \\ q_{4} & 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 \bigstrut[b]\\ \end{block} \end{blockarray}\vspace*{-0.6\baselineskip} \end{align*} %

\end{document}


This gives me errors with the environment:

Missing \endgroup inserted. \end{align*}
Missing } inserted. \end{align*}
\begin{document} ended by \end{align*}. \end{align*}
Missing inserted. \end{align*} Display math should end with. \end{align*} Extra \endgroup. \end{align*} Too many }'s. \end{document} Overfull \hbox (116.89484pt too wide) detected  I also tried with $ $ environment rather than align* but that use gives me a different set of errors: Missing inserted. & A_
Extra }, or forgotten $. & A_{1} & Missing$ inserted. & A_{1} &
Missing } inserted. & A_{1} &
Missing $inserted. & A_{1} & A_ Extra }, or forgotten$. & A_{1} & A_{2} &
Missing $inserted. & A_{1} & A_{2} & Missing } inserted. & A_{1} & A_{2} & Missing$ inserted. & A_{1} & A_{2} & A_
Extra }, or forgotten $. & A_{1} & A_{2} & A_{3} & Missing$ inserted. & A_{1} & A_{2} & A_{3} &
Missing } inserted. & A_{1} & A_{2} & A_{3} &
Missing $inserted. & A_{1} & A_{2} & A_{3} & A_ Extra }, or forgotten$. \begin
Missing $inserted. \begin Missing } inserted. \begin Missing$ inserted. q_
Extra }, or forgotten $. q_{1} & Missing$ inserted. q_{1} &
Missing } inserted. q_{1} &
Missing $inserted. q_ Extra }, or forgotten$. q_{2} &
Missing $inserted. q_{2} & Missing } inserted. q_{2} & Missing$ inserted. q_
Extra }, or forgotten $. q_{3} & Missing$ inserted. q_{3} &
Missing } inserted. q_{3} &
Missing $inserted. q_ Extra }, or forgotten$. q_{4} &
Missing inserted. q_{4} & Missing } inserted. q_{4} & Bad math environment delimiter. \]  • why use align at all here you only have a single line and no alignment point? – David Carlisle May 25 at 20:03 • Good point. Do you know why I am getting errors with the [ ... ]? – ozsu May 25 at 20:04 ## 1 Answer The errors are an artefact of standalone processing, this works \documentclass[margin=1mm]{article} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{blkarray, bigstrut} \usepackage{setspace} \begin{document} \setstretch{1.3} $\begin{blockarray}{ccccc} & A_{1} & A_{2} & A_{3} & A_{4} \\ \begin{block}{c[cccc]} q_{1} & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 \bigstrut[t] \\ q_{2} & 1 & 1 & 1 & 0 \\ q_{3} & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 \\ q_{4} & 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 \bigstrut[b]\\ \end{block} \end{blockarray}\vspace*{-0.6\baselineskip}$ \end{document}  or with standalone \documentclass[margin=1mm]{standalone} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{blkarray, bigstrut} \usepackage{setspace} \begin{document} \setstretch{1.3}
\begin{blockarray}{ccccc}
& A_{1} & A_{2} & A_{3} & A_{4} \\
\begin{block}{c[cccc]}
q_{1} & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0  \bigstrut[t] \\
q_{2} & 1 & 1 & 1 & 0 \\
q_{3} & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 \\
q_{4} & 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 \bigstrut[b]\\
\end{block}
\end{blockarray}\vspace*{-0.6\baselineskip}
\$

\end{document}

• Thanks much; did not know that difference. Something new learned. – ozsu May 25 at 20:14
• @ozsu as a general rule display constructs do not work in standalone unless you use the varwidth option but for a table of fixed width just using inline math is simpler. – David Carlisle May 25 at 20:22