LaTeX Greek Symbols Reference
This comprehensive guide shows how to write Greek symbols in LaTeX documents. Each symbol includes its LaTeX commands for both uppercase and lowercase forms, preview, and common usage notes.
Greek Letters in LaTeX
| Symbol | Name | LaTeX Commands | Preview | Common Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Alpha | Upper: Lower: | | First letter of Greek alphabet |
| | Beta | Upper: Lower: | | Used in beta decay, beta testing |
| | Gamma | Upper: Lower: | | Used in gamma rays, gamma function |
| | Delta | Upper: Lower: | | Change in value, partial derivatives |
| | Epsilon | Upper: Lower: | | Small quantities, error terms |
| | Zeta | Upper: Lower: | | Riemann zeta function |
| | Eta | Upper: Lower: | | Efficiency, viscosity |
| | Theta | Upper: Lower: | | Angles, temperature |
| | Iota | Upper: Lower: | | Unit vectors |
| | Kappa | Upper: Lower: | | Thermal conductivity |
| | Lambda | Upper: Lower: | | Wavelength, eigenvalues |
| | Mu | Upper: Lower: | | Micro prefix, mean value |
| | Nu | Upper: Lower: | | Frequency, degrees of freedom |
| | Xi | Upper: Lower: | | Random variables |
| | Omicron | Upper: Lower: | | Rarely used in mathematics |
| | Pi | Upper: Lower: | | Circle ratio, products |
| | Rho | Upper: Lower: | | Density, correlation |
| | Sigma | Upper: Lower: | | Sum, standard deviation |
| | Tau | Upper: Lower: | | Time constant, torque |
| | Upsilon | Upper: Lower: | | Energy states |
| | Phi | Upper: Lower: | | Phase, potential |
| | Chi | Upper: Lower: | | Chi-square distribution |
| | Psi | Upper: Lower: | | Wave functions |
| | Omega | Upper: Lower: | | Ohms, angular velocity |
Common LaTeX Examples
Physics - Wave Function
Wave function with amplitude A, wave number k, angular frequency ω, and phase φ
Statistics - Normal Distribution
Normal distribution with mean μ and standard deviation σ
Thermodynamics - Efficiency
Thermal efficiency with work output W, heat input Q, and temperatures T
Quantum Mechanics - Schrödinger Equation
Time-dependent Schrödinger equation
Fluid Dynamics - Navier-Stokes
Navier-Stokes equation with density ρ, velocity v, pressure p, and viscosity μ
Electromagnetism - Maxwell Equation
Faraday's law of induction
Matrix Operations
Eigenvalue equation with Greek letters
Series Expansion
Exponential function series
Common Formulas by Field
Physics
Special Relativity
Energy-mass relationship with Lorentz factor γ
Quantum Harmonic Oscillator
Energy levels with angular frequency ω
Mathematics
Euler Identity
Relationship between e, i, and π
Fourier Transform
Transform from time to frequency domain
Statistics
Correlation Coefficient
Correlation between variables X and Y
Chi-Square Test
Test statistic for goodness of fit