Plus Minus in LaTeX (\pm)

Where it is used

Gives the plus-or-minus sign ±, for two alternatives or a tolerance around a value.

\pm appears in the quadratic formula x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a} and in measurement uncertainty like 9.81 \pm 0.02. Its counterpart \mp (minus-plus) is used when signs must flip in tandem, as in \cos(a \pm b) = \cos a \cos b \mp \sin a \sin b. It is a binary operator, so TeX spaces it like +. In tables of experimental results, align numbers around the \pm sign for readability. Finance texts use it for ranges such as a return of 5\% \pm 2\%.

Also listed under: Currency & Finance

Minimal compilable example

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

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Plus Minus: $\pm$

\[ \cos(a \pm b) = \cos a \cos b \mp \sin a \sin b \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Dot Product\cdot
• Nabla\nabla
• Partial Derivative\partial
• Empty Set\emptyset
• Intersection\cap
• Union\cup

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Plus Minus in LaTeX?

Type \pm in math mode, for example $\cos(a \pm b) = \cos a \cos b \mp \sin a \sin b$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \pm?

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

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

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