Dot Product in LaTeX (\cdot)

Where it is used

Places a centered dot, used for the dot product and for multiplication between factors.

\cdot is a binary operator sitting at the math axis, as in \mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{v} = \sum u_i v_i and in products like 2 \cdot 3. It also marks a placeholder argument, as in \|\cdot\| or f(\cdot). Do not use a period, which sits on the baseline, or \bullet, which is larger. For an ellipsis between multiplied factors use \cdots, which is vertically centered, versus \ldots for lists. Use \times for cross products and scientific notation, keeping \cdot for scalar and inner products.

Also listed under: Linear Algebra

Minimal compilable example

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

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Dot Product: $\cdot$

\[ \mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{v} = \|\mathbf{u}\|\|\mathbf{v}\| \cos\theta \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Plus Minus\pm
• Nabla\nabla
• Partial Derivative\partial
• Empty Set\emptyset
• Intersection\cap
• Union\cup

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Dot Product in LaTeX?

Type \cdot in math mode, for example $\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{v} = \|\mathbf{u}\|\|\mathbf{v}\| \cos\theta$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \cdot?

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

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

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