Up Down Arrow in LaTeX (\updownarrow)

Where it is used

Draws a vertical two-headed arrow, mostly used as a scalable delimiter or in diagrams.

\updownarrow points both up and down, making it handy in vertical diagrams to show a two-way relation between rows. Being a delimiter, it can be enlarged with \big, \Big, or \left and \right. In physics it occasionally indicates a superposition of spin states or a vertical oscillation. Its double-shafted variant is \Updownarrow. If you are drawing a full commutative diagram, a dedicated diagram environment will align vertical arrows better than placing \updownarrow by hand. It is rarely needed in modern papers but useful in lecture notes.

Minimal compilable example

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

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Up Down Arrow: $\updownarrow$

\[ A \quad \Big\updownarrow \quad B \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Left Right Arrow (Double)\Leftrightarrow
• Long Left Right Arrow\longleftrightarrow
• Long Left Right Arrow (Double)\Longleftrightarrow
• Left Right Arrow\leftrightarrow
• Up Down Arrow (Double)\Updownarrow
• Down Arrow (Double)\Downarrow

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Up Down Arrow in LaTeX?

Type \updownarrow in math mode, for example $A \quad \Big\updownarrow \quad B$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \updownarrow?

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

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

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