General ⇒ error messages while compiling a pdf

[palme]

Dear all,

I am noob concerning the programs Miktex, Texniccenter und jabref, so I am sorry for the stupid question I have.

Here is my problem where I am stuck and without any idea: Three years ago I wrote my master thesis with Latex. I made it to the point where the output file of texniccenter didnt show up any error message and thus the pdf was compiled without any problem. Now, three years later, I want to update my thesis. I installed the newest versions of Miktex, Texniccenter and jabref, took the old tex file and let it run through. To my big suprise texniccenter shows 8 errors in the output window and as a conseqence the pdf is not compiled. The errors look as follows:

! Missing delimiter (. inserted) .
<to be read again>
\right
1.228 \end{align}

! Missing delimiter (. inserted) .
<to be read again>
\let
1.228 \end{align}

! Missing delimiter (. inserted) .
<to be read again>
\left
1.228 \end{align}

! Missing delimiter (. inserted) .
<to be read again>
+
1.228 \end{align}


Those four messages are repeated once.
Why I have these error messages now, where I had not had these three years ago with the identical rex file? What is the meaning of these error messages I receive? How can I eliminate these errors ? At the moment I have no plan how to proceed.

Many thanks for yor help!!
greetings
palme

[gmedina]

Hi,

...
What is the meaning of these error messages I receive? How can I eliminate these errors ? At the moment I have no plan how to proceed...

That kind of error message usually appears when you use some of the commands \left, \right, \big, \Big, \bigg, or \Bigg and forget to place a delimiter right after the command.

The first error message

! Missing delimiter (. inserted) .
<to be read again>
\right
1.228 \end{align}

tells you that the problem occurred at (or near at the) line 228 of your .tex file, inside an align environment and probably the culprit is a \right command not followed by a delimiter. Check the align environments searching for this missing delimiter.

...Why I have these error messages now, where I had not had these three years ago with the identical rex file?...

Here I can only guess: perhaps you accidentally deleted a delimiter?

[palme]

@gmedina: thanks a lot for your reply.

Actually I went through the align which is closed in the 228th line and I wasnt able to find the reason for the error messages. Thus let me post the align here, maybe u ll find it:

\begin{align}
\begin{split}
\max ~~~E_t\sum_{l=0}^{\infty}\beta^l\left\{\frac{1}{1-\kappa}
\left[\left(\frac{W_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}\right)N_{t+l}+\frac{M_{t+l-1}}{P_{t+l}}+(1+i_{t+l-1})\left(\frac{B_{t+l-1}}{P_{t+l}}\right)+
\right \right \\
\smallskip \\
\left \left
+\Pi_{t+l}-\frac{M_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}- \frac{B_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}\right]^{1-\kappa}+
\frac{\gamma}{1-b}\left(\frac{M_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}\right)-
\xi\frac{N_{t+l}^{1+d}}{1+d}\right\}
\end{split}
\label{adcurveref1}
\end{align}


thanks again for ur help!

greetings
palme

[localghost]

Please always post a small, complete and compilable, shortly spoken a minimal working example (MWE) if you expect to get specific help promptly. Do not post useless code snippets.

You have to insert a period for invisible delimiters to complete the pairs of \left and \right (see Math Miscellany). Compare the below code with yours.

Code: Select all

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[includeheadfoot,margin=3cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{lmodern}

\begin{document}
  \begin{equation}\label{eqn:adcurveref1}
    \begin{split}
      \max\quad E_t\sum_{l=0}^{\infty}\beta^l\left\{\frac{1}{1-\kappa}
      \left[\left(\frac{W_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}\right)N_{t+l}+\frac{M_{t+l-1}}{P_{t+l}}+(1+i_{t+l-1})\left(\frac{B_{t+l-1}}{P_{t+l}}\right)+\right.\right. \\
      \left.\left.+\Pi_{t+l}-\frac{M_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}- \frac{B_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}\right]^{1-\kappa}+\frac{\gamma}{1-b}\left(\frac{M_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}\right)-\xi\frac{N_{t+l}^{1+d}}{1+d}\right\}
    \end{split}
  \end{equation}
\end{document}

For more information about packages and their manuals refer to CTAN.


Best regards and welcome to the board
Thorsten¹

[gmedina]

Hi,

as suspected, your expresion contains \left and \right commands without a delimiter. Just before the \smallskip command there are two consecutive \right commands without delimiter and right after the \smallskip command there are two consecutive \left commands without delimiter.

If you want to balance a \left<delimiter> construct without actually showing a delimiter, you must place a dot right after the corresponding \right command (a similar remark apllies in the case of a \right<delimiter> construct).

An example:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

\begin{equation}
  \left\lbrace \rule{3cm}{1cm}\right.
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
  \left. \rule{3cm}{1cm}\right\rbrace
\end{equation}

\end{document}

Here's a compilable version of your expresion:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

\begin{align}
\begin{split}
  \max ~~~E_t\sum_{l=0}^{\infty}\beta^l\left\{\frac{1}{1-\kappa}
    \left[\left(\frac{W_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}\right)N_{t+l}+\frac{M_{t+l-1}}  
    {P_{t+l}}+(1+i_{t+l-1})\left(\frac{B_{t+l-1}}{P_{t+l}}\right)+
    \right. \right. \\
    \smallskip \\
  \left. \left.
    +\Pi_{t+l}-\frac{M_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}- \frac{B_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}\right]^{1-\kappa}+
    \frac{\gamma}{1-b}\left(\frac{M_{t+l}}{P_{t+l}}\right)-
    \xi\frac{N_{t+l}^{1+d}}{1+d}\right\}
\end{split}
\label{adcurveref1}
\end{align}

\end{document}

[palme]

@Thorsten: Sorry for that, for next time I will remember this point and post a MWE

@Thorsten and gmedina: Thank u very much for your solution, now the document runs through without a single error
However, I could swear that three years ago when i compiled my pdf I had not had any dots after the \left and \right commands and I had not had any error messages ?!? Maybe it this is because of an older version of miktex and texniccenter I used in those days...
And finally, to be honest, today I dont know anymore why i put two \left and two \right commands in the align environment and I dont konow anymore what they actually do
However, most important I can compile the pdf file withouut errors now!!

Thanks for ur quick help
regards
palme

[localghost]

Next time it would be very kind if you mention when doing a crossposting [1]. This prevents others from double efforts and waste of time.

[1] mehrere Fehler bei Erstellung eines pdf .:. goLateX .:. deutschsprachiges LaTeX Forum