Up Arrow in LaTeX (\uparrow)

Where it is used

Draws an upward arrow, used for increasing limits, spin up, gas evolution, and Knuth's notation.

Analysis writes x_n \uparrow x for a sequence increasing to its limit, as in the monotone convergence theorem. Physics uses it for spin up, |\uparrow\rangle, and chemistry marks a gas leaving a reaction with an up arrow after the product. Knuth's up-arrow notation for huge numbers writes 3 \uparrow\uparrow 3 for iterated exponentiation. \uparrow also works as a delimiter, so \big\uparrow or \left\uparrow ... \right. produce taller versions. The double-shafted \Uparrow is a separate symbol.

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{amsmath}
\begin{document}
Up Arrow: $\uparrow$

\[ f_n \uparrow f \implies \int f_n\,d\mu \uparrow \int f\,d\mu \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

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

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Up Arrow in LaTeX?

Type \uparrow in math mode, for example $f_n \uparrow f \implies \int f_n\,d\mu \uparrow \int f\,d\mu$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \uparrow?

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

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

Only in math mode. Outside $...$ LaTeX stops with "Missing $ inserted", so write $\uparrow$ 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).