Ellipsis / dots (…) in LaTeX
\dots prints an ellipsis whose height LaTeX infers from context; \cdots gives centred dots, \vdots vertical dots and \ddots diagonal dots for matrices and long sums.
LaTeX command
\dotsNot the symbol you meant? Draw it to find the command →
\dots is the general ellipsis command: in modern LaTeX it inspects the surrounding symbols and chooses low dots (like \ldots) between commas and centred dots (like \cdots) between operators such as + or =. For explicit control use \ldots for baseline dots and \cdots for vertically centred dots.
For arrays and matrices there are two more: \vdots draws three vertical dots for a column continuing downward, and \ddots draws three diagonal dots for a leading diagonal. Together with \cdots they fill out an n-by-n matrix cleanly. All four are core commands and render in KaTeX.
Choose the dots to match the neighbours. Use \cdots in a sum such as 1 + 2 + \cdots + n because the dots sit at the level of the plus signs, and \ldots in a list such as x_1, \ldots, x_n where the dots sit on the baseline with the commas. \dots is a safe default that usually picks correctly.
Other forms
\cdotscentred (⋯)\vdotsvertical (⋮)\ddotsdiagonal (⋱)Examples
$1 + 2 + \cdots + n$centred dots between operators
$x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n$baseline dots in a list
$a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n$\dots choosing dots from context
$\begin{pmatrix} 1 & \cdots & 0 \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ 0 & \cdots & 1 \end{pmatrix}$dots filling a matrix
Tips and common mistakes
- Use
\cdotsbetween operators (+, =,\times) and\ldotsbetween commas;\dotsusually picks the right one automatically. \vdots(vertical) and\ddots(diagonal) are for matrices and tables, not inline text.- In amsmath, the semantic variants
\dotsc(commas),\dotsb(binary operators) and\dotsm(products) pick the correct dots explicitly; plain\dotsis fine for most cases. - Do not type three literal full stops; they have the wrong spacing. Use a dots command instead.
- Keep these dots in math mode; for an ellipsis in ordinary prose use
\dotsor\ldotsin text.
Working from handwritten notes?
LatexNotes turns a photo or PDF of handwritten mathematics into clean, compilable LaTeX - graphs and all. Free to try, no sign-up.
Convert your maths to LaTeX →FAQ
What is the difference between \ldots and \cdots?
\ldots sits on the baseline, for lists separated by commas; \cdots is vertically centred, for expressions joined by operators like + or =.
How do I put dots in a matrix?
Use \cdots for a horizontal row, \vdots for a vertical column and \ddots for the diagonal, combining them to show the omitted entries.
Should I just type three dots (...)?
No. Three full stops have incorrect spacing. Use \dots, \ldots or \cdots so the ellipsis is spaced properly.