Approaches in LaTeX (\to)

Where it is used

Rightward arrow read as 'tends to' in limits or 'maps to' between sets.

It serves double duty: in limits, x \to 0 or n \to \infty; in function signatures, f\colon X \to Y. \to is simply an alias for \rightarrow, so the output is identical; pick whichever reads better in source. Do not confuse it with \mapsto, which shows where an individual element goes (x \mapsto x^2), or \longrightarrow, a longer arrow for displays. For modes of convergence, decorate it: \xrightarrow{d} for convergence in distribution, or stack a label with \overset{p}{\to}. It has relation spacing, so no manual spaces are needed around it.

Also listed under: Functions & Mapping

Minimal compilable example

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

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Approaches: $\to$

\[ \lim_{n \to \infty} \left(1 + \frac{1}{n}\right)^n = e \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Evaluated At\Big|_{a}^{b}
• Double Dot\ddot{x}
• Dot\dot{x}
• Double Primef''(x)
• Prime Derivativef'(x)
• Differentialdx

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Approaches in LaTeX?

Type \to in math mode, for example $\lim_{n \to \infty} \left(1 + \frac{1}{n}\right)^n = e$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \to?

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

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

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