Right Arrow in LaTeX (\rightarrow)

Where it is used

Draws a short single arrow pointing right, for function signatures, limits, and reaction arrows.

\rightarrow has the shorter alias \to, which is the usual choice in f : A \to B and in limits x \to 0. Use \mapsto instead when describing what happens to an element, as in x \mapsto x^2. In logic, p \rightarrow q is material implication, distinct from the double arrow \Rightarrow used between statements. Chemists write simple reactions with it, and graph theorists use it for directed edges u \rightarrow v. When you need a label above the arrow, the extensible \xrightarrow{\text{label}} grows to fit.

Also listed under: Chemistry

Minimal compilable example

Paste this into an empty .tex file and compile it with pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\begin{document}
Right Arrow: $\rightarrow$

\[ f : \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}, \quad x \rightarrow 0 \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Up Arrow\uparrow
• Left Arrow\leftarrow
• Long Left Arrow\longleftarrow
• Long Right Arrow\longrightarrow
• Down Arrow\downarrow
• Left Arrow (Double)\Leftarrow

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Right Arrow in LaTeX?

Type \rightarrow in math mode, for example $f : \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}, \quad x \rightarrow 0$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \rightarrow?

None. \rightarrow is part of standard LaTeX, so it compiles with nothing in the preamble but the document class.

Can I use \rightarrow in text mode, or only in math mode?

Only in math mode. Outside $...$ LaTeX stops with "Missing $ inserted", so write $\rightarrow$ in running text. If you only need the glyph in text, paste the Unicode character → instead (with XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX and a font that has it).