# \dots

Used for ellipses in mathematical sequences and equations, with MathJax choosing low or centered dots from surrounding context.

https://texform.dev/latex/commands/dots

## Metadata

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Topic | [Miscellaneous symbols](https://texform.dev/latex/topics/miscellaneous) |
| Packages | base |
| Allowed mode | math |
| Tags |  |
| Commonality | high |
| Kind | prefix |

## Syntax

### base

Argument specification: ``

Used for ellipses in mathematical sequences and equations, with MathJax choosing low or centered dots from surrounding context.

## Common tasks

### How to write an ellipsis that picks the right height

\dots chooses \ldots or \cdots from the surrounding operators.

```latex
a_1+a_2+\dots+a_n
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=a_1%2Ba_2%2B%5Cdots%2Ba_n)

### How to write dots in a product

```latex
a_1 a_2 \dots a_n
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=a_1+a_2+%5Cdots+a_n)

### How to write dots in a matrix

```latex
\begin{pmatrix} a_{11} & \dots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \dots & a_{nn} \end{pmatrix}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cbegin%7Bpmatrix%7D+a_%7B11%7D+%26+%5Cdots+%26+a_%7B1n%7D+%5C%5C+%5Cvdots+%26+%5Cddots+%26+%5Cvdots+%5C%5C+a_%7Bn1%7D+%26+%5Cdots+%26+a_%7Bnn%7D+%5Cend%7Bpmatrix%7D)

## Examples

```latex
\dots
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cdots)

```latex
a=\dots=b
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=a%3D%5Cdots%3Db)

## Renderer support

| Package | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| base | full | full | full |

## Usage frequency

1.51% of formulas in the measured corpus contain this entry, rank 39 of 263 entries with frequency data.

## In TeXForm

TeXForm parses this entry as prefix syntax; the package determines its argument specification.

### [base/dots-to-ldots-or-cdots](https://texform.dev/rules/base/dots-to-ldots-or-cdots)

Resolve plain \dots to an explicit ellipsis only when the following math atom class determines MathJax's choice.

Level: faithful. Fidelity: render.

```latex
\dots #1
```

→

```latex
\ldots #1
```

```latex
a,\dots,b
```

→

```latex
a,\ldots,b
```

## Equivalent forms

```latex
\ldots
```

approximate. Matches the default low-dot branch; MathJax emits this unless the following embellished operator has TeX class BIN or REL.

```latex
\cdots
```

approximate. Matches the centered-dot branch chosen when the following embellished operator is a binary or relation operator.

## Test cases

### base

| Input | Case | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \dots | Positive: baseline | Pass | Pass | Pass |