Plus Minus Sign in LaTeX

Write the plus-minus sign ± with \pm in math mode: $x = 3 \pm 2$ . Its mirror image, minus-plus ∓, is \mp. Both are built into LaTeX; no package is needed.

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Plus-minus commands

\pm
$\pm$
Plus or minus ±, math mode.
\mp
$\mp$
Minus or plus ∓, the opposite sign of a neighboring ±.
\textpm
Text mode, no math preview
± in running text (textcomp, loaded by current LaTeX).
{\pm}
$\pm$
Braced ± when the sign starts an expression, so it is spaced as a unary sign.
\pm\infty
$\pm \infty$
Plus or minus infinity.

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LaTeX

Templates

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Plus-minus sign examples

Each result below is drawn from the LaTeX under it. Copy the code, edit it on this page, or open it in the full editor.

Quadratic formula
$x = \frac{- b \pm \sqrt{b^{2} - 4 a c}}{2 a}$
LaTeX
```
x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}
```
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Measurement with uncertainty
$L = (5.00 \pm 0.02) m$
LaTeX
```
L = (5.00 \pm 0.02)\,\mathrm{m}
```
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Paired signs
$\sin (α \pm β) = \sin α \cos β \pm \cos α \sin β$
LaTeX
```
\sin(\alpha \pm \beta) = \sin\alpha\cos\beta \pm \cos\alpha\sin\beta
```
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Plus-minus with minus-plus
$\cos (α \pm β) = \cos α \cos β \mp \sin α \sin β$
LaTeX
```
\cos(\alpha \pm \beta) = \cos\alpha\cos\beta \mp \sin\alpha\sin\beta
```
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Square root solutions
$x^{2} = 9 ⟹ x = \pm 3$
LaTeX
```
x^2 = 9 \implies x = \pm 3
```
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Limits at both infinities
$lim_{x \to \pm \infty} \frac{1}{x} = 0$
LaTeX
```
\lim_{x \to \pm\infty} \frac{1}{x} = 0
```
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When to use \mp

Use \mp when a second sign must be the opposite of an earlier \pm, as in the cosine sum formula: the upper signs go together and the lower signs go together. Using \pm twice would suggest the signs are independent.

Plus-minus in text and in tables

In a sentence, write $\pm$ or \textpm. For measured values, siunitx formats uncertainties consistently: \num{5.00 +- 0.02} prints 5.00 ± 0.02, and \qty{5.00 +- 0.02}{\metre} adds the unit.

Typing the ± character itself works in text with XeLaTeX, LuaLaTeX and current pdfLaTeX, but in math mode pdfLaTeX treats it as a text symbol, so \pm is the reliable choice inside formulas.

LaTeX

\usepackage{siunitx}
...
The rod is \qty{5.00 +- 0.02}{\metre} long.

Common mistakes

+- prints a plus followed by a minus. LaTeX has no ASCII shortcut for ±.
Instead of
```
x = 3 +- 2
```
Write
```
x = 3 \pm 2
```
\pm is a math command; in text it stops with "Missing $ inserted".
Instead of
```
The error is \pm 0.1 mm.
```
Write
```
The error is $\pm 0.1$~mm.
```

The second sign is the opposite of the first, which is exactly what \mp says.

Instead of

\cos(\alpha \pm \beta) = \cos\alpha\cos\beta \pm \sin\alpha\sin\beta

Write

\cos(\alpha \pm \beta) = \cos\alpha\cos\beta \mp \sin\alpha\sin\beta

In Overleaf, MathJax and Word

Overleaf and pdfLaTeX
\pm and \mp work in any document. \textpm works in text in current TeX Live; \num{… +- …} needs \usepackage{siunitx}.
MathJax and KaTeX
MathJax and KaTeX render \pm and \mp directly, in Markdown between $ … $ too.
Microsoft Word
In a Word equation, type \pm and press Space to get ±. Outside equations, Insert › Symbol has ±. Copy for Word from the editor here pastes a formula with ± as an editable equation.