# Latex: task environment not enumerating properly

I am trying to create a 2 column math worksheet with the problems numbered horizontally.

The code is show below. The error is causing the enumeration (using numbers rather than letters) to render improperly:

(tsk[1]) instead of (1)

In the right column, the enumeration is rendered (tsk[1-]).

I'm working in overleaf.com. So I assume all packages are current.

A massive thanks for your able assistance! Haven't found answer on my own.

Note: Because I'm a newby, there may be extra packages in the preamble that aren't needed.

    \documentclass[12pt]{exam}

%\printanswers % uncomment to print solutions.
\renewcommand{\solutiontitle}{}
% MACROS
%Not sure all of these packages are necessary...but the 'taks package is certainly necessary
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{cancel}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepackage{caption} % allows captions in minipage envir (issue w/solutions envir)
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{framed} %box para
\usepackage{tkz-euclide}
\usepackage{multicol}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.10}
%\displaystyle for all  math environments use \lim\limits for other environments

\usepackage[margin=0.5in]{geometry}

\everymath{\displaystyle}

%\unframedsolutions % uncomment to remove boxes from solutions
\setlength{\parindent}{0pt} % removes paragraph indentation

\header{Pre-Alg 03/09/20: Product Ppty of Exponents Mini-Quiz }
{}
{04/05/19}

\newcommand{\pagetop}{%
\makebox[\textwidth]{Name:\enspace\hrulefill}\par
\vspace{4mm}
\fbox{\fbox{\parbox{\dimexpr\textwidth-4\fboxsep-4\fboxrule}{

}}}\par
\bigskip
\vspace{0.5mm}
}

after-skip=2cm,
label-width=2em,
item-indent=3em,
%change '1' to 'a' if you want letters instead of numbers
counter-format=(tsk[1]),
column-sep=2em
}

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% -------------------------- DOCUMENT STARTS HERE--------------------
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\begin{document}

\pagetop

% Prob #1
\task $8x^3y^0\cdot 7xy^3$
\begin{solutionorbox}[5cm]
$8x^3y^0\cdot 7xy^3$
\\\\
$8^1x^3\cancel{y^0}\cdot 7^1x^1y^3$
\\\\
$8^1\cdot 7^1\cdot x^3\cdot x^1 \cdot y^3$
\\\\
$8\cdot 7\cdot x\cdot x \cdot x\cdot x\cdot y\cdot y\cdot y$
\\\\
$8\cdot 7\cdot x^4\cdot y^3$
\\\\
$56x^4y^3$
\end{solutionorbox}

% Prob #2
\task $-8uv^3\cdot 7u^4v^2$
\begin{solutionorbox}[5cm]
$-8uv^3\cdot 7u^4v^2$
\\\\
$(-8)^1u^1v^3 \cdot 7^1u^4v^2$
\\\\
$(-8)^1\cdot 7^1\cdot u^1\cdot u^4\cdot v^3\cdot v^2$
\\\\
$(-8)\cdot 7\cdot u\cdot u\cdot u\cdot u\cdot u\cdot v\cdot v\cdot v\cdot v\cdot v$
\\\\
$(-8)\cdot 7\cdot u^5\cdot v^5$
\\\\
$-56u^5v^5$

\end{solutionorbox}

% Prob #3
\task $-a^2b^2\cdot -6a^2b^4$
\begin{solutionorbox}[5cm]
$-a^2b^2\cdot -6a^2b^4$
\\\\
$(-1)^1(a)^2b^2\cdot (-6)^1a^2b^4$
\\\\
$(-1)^1 \cdot (-6)^1 \cdot a^2 \cdot a^2 \cdot b^2 \cdot b^4$
\\\\
$(-1)\cdot (-6) \cdot a \cdot a \cdot a \cdot a \cdot b \cdot b\cdot b\cdot b\cdot b\cdot b$
\\\\
$(-1)\cdot (-6) \cdot a^4 \cdot b^6$
\\\\
$6a^4b^6$

\end{solutionorbox}

% Prob #4
\task $\frac{xy^{-3}}{3x^3y^{-2}\cdot2x^{-3}y}$
\begin{solution}
solution
\end{solution}

% Prob #5
\task $\frac{m^{-4}n^4\cdot(mn^2)\strut^{-3}}{(m^2n^4)\strut^0}$
\begin{solution}
solution
\end{solution}

\clearpage

\newpage

\fbox{\parbox[b][10mm][c]{0.75\linewidth}{\centering{Solutions}}}\\

% Prob #1
\task $-12v^3$

% Prob #2
\task $-2x^7y^5$

% Prob #3
\task $\frac{16}{m^4n^4}$

% Prob #4
\task $\frac{16}{x^2y^8}$

% Prob #5
\task $\frac{m^{-4}n^4\cdot(mn^2)\strut^{-3}}{(m^2y^n^4)^0}$

% Prob #6
\task $-\frac{1}{27b^{12}}$

% Prob #7
\task $16b^4$

% Prob #8
\task $16$

% Prob #9
\task $-\frac{1}{12a^8}$

% Prob #10
\task $\frac{m^2}{n^8}$

%Prob #11
\task $-\frac{2y^5}{x^5}$

%Prob #12
\task $\frac{v^3}{u^7}$

%Prob #13
\task $\frac{m^{10}}{16n^2}$

%Prob #14
\task $1$

%Prob #15
\task $\frac{1}{4a^6b^4}$

%Prob #16
\task $-\frac{2b^2}{a^5}$

\end{document}

• Your code results in an error message. In such cases, do not look at the outpu, since even if you get something that on first glance resembles a pdf file, there can still be issues with it. After an error, TeX only tries to recover enough to syntax check more of the file, it does not try to make sensible output after an error. – leandriis Mar 6 at 22:41
• Now to your error message " Double superscript." This refers to {(m^2y^n^4)^0} in task 5. Even if code like x^2 works, I'd encourage you to enclose the superscript in a set of {} as follows: x^{2} to prevent this type of error message. – leandriis Mar 6 at 22:44
• Now to the numbering problem: This can be reproduced by an example document as small as: \documentclass[12pt]{exam} \usepackage{tasks} \settasks{counter-format=(tsk[1]) } \begin{document} \begin{tasks}(2) \task $-12v^3$ \end{tasks} \end{document}. According to the warning, counter-format is deprecated and should be replaced with the label option. – leandriis Mar 6 at 22:49

Instead of the deprecated (since version 1.0) counter-format option use the label option and the new syntax as shown in the following, further minimalized example.

To make your actual document compilable, you will also have to get rid of the Double superscript error messages caused by \task $\frac{m^{-4}n^4\cdot(mn^2)\strut^{-3}}{(m^2y^n^4)^0}$. I'd also encourage you to always enclose sub- and superscripts into a set of {} as for example in x^{2}.

\documentclass[12pt]{exam}

after-skip=2cm,
label-width=2em,
item-indent=3em,
label=(\arabic*),
column-sep=2em
}
\begin{document}

\task $-12v^3$

• I copy/posted the \settasks code you provided above. Perfect fix @leandriis ! Also, thanks for reminding me to read the error logs & not to trust the rendering only. Your code revision eliminated Package tasks warning: width of the item indent {set to 2em} is too small. Error 2: Underfull \hbox (badness 10000) still remains, although doc renders perfectly -- thanks to you! Any ideas! – WyoWindStorm Mar 8 at 6:42