Division in LaTeX (\div)

Where it is used

Gives the obelus ÷, the elementary-school division sign with a dot above and below a bar.

The obelus appears in arithmetic worksheets, calculator-style expressions, and some tables, as in 12 \div 4 = 3. Research mathematics almost never uses it; instead write a fraction with \frac{12}{4}, an inline slash 12/4, or a colon for ratios. In some countries the obelus is avoided entirely, and ISO 80000-2 recommends against it. Because \div is a binary operator, TeX spaces it like + and -. Do not confuse it with \mid or the slash /, which mean divides and quotient respectively in number theory and group theory, for instance G/N.

Minimal compilable example

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

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Division: $\div$

\[ 84 \div 7 = 12 \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Fraction\frac{a}{b}
• Multiplication\times
• Square Root\sqrt{x}
• Subtraction-
• N-th Root\sqrt[n]{x}
• Addition+

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Division in LaTeX?

Type \div in math mode, for example $84 \div 7 = 12$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \div?

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

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

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