Document Classes ⇒ Changing abstract section name in the Memoir class

[kaisquared]

Hello!

I am currently working on my MSc thesis and I use the memoir class, with the abstract environment. The title "abstract" is fine for an article, but for a thesis it would be "summary", so I looked up on the Memoir class manual how to change this. There is indeed a variable \abstractname, but I don't understand how I should modify it to change the abstract title. I used renewcommand and renewcommand*, as \newcommand*{\abstractname}{Abstract} appears in the .cls file, but it didn't work. I then tried putting the command inside the environment, before, in the preamble… and it still doesn't.

Would you know how to properly use this command?

Thanks a lot!

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi,

Code: Select all

\renewcommand*\abstractname{Summary}

in my preamble works for me.

Stefan

[kaisquared]

Well, it still doesn't for me!

Maybe it's got something to do with the packages I've loaded – some of them might reset the name, although it's unlikely.

Could you put in a copy of your preamble?

Thanks a lot.

[Stefan Kottwitz]

My compilable minimal working example is:

Code: Select all

\documentclass[a4paper,10pt]{memoir}
\renewcommand*\abstractname{Summary}
\begin{document}
\begin{abstract}
 summary test
\end{abstract}
\end{document}

Perhaps show your preamble, we could look for the cause by examining that.

Stefan

[kaisquared]

Here goes. Some parts should be irrelevant, but you never know. By the way, your example works for me, too. So there is definitely some conflict or redefinition.

Code: Select all

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}%switch to latin9 for UTF8 encoding
\usepackage[english]{babel}

\usepackage[hmargin = 1.0in, top = 1.25in, bottom = 1.00in, footskip = 2em]{geometry}

\usepackage[]{fourier}
\usepackage{amsmath, amsfonts, amssymb, amsthm, enumerate, dsfont, stmaryrd, algorithmic, algorithm}
\usepackage[round]{natbib}

\usepackage[usenames,dvipsnames]{xcolor}
\definecolor{MyDarkRed}{rgb}{0.9,0.2,0.2}
\usepackage{pgf, pgffor}
\usepgflibrary{plothandlers}

\usepackage[absolute]{textpos}

\usepackage[pdfstartview=FitH]{hyperref}
\usepackage{memhfixc}

\renewcommand*\abstractname{Summary}
%\abstractintoc

% *************** Operators *************
\DeclareMathOperator{\sgn}{sgn}
\DeclareMathOperator{\e}{e}
\DeclareMathOperator{\esssup}{ess\:sup}
\DeclareMathOperator{\Var}{Var}
\DeclareMathOperator{\Cov}{Cov}
\DeclareMathOperator{\Corr}{Corr}
\DeclareMathOperator{\VaR}{VaR}
\DeclareMathOperator{\LVaR}{L--VaR}

% *************** Macros ****************
\newcommand{\ds}{\displaystyle}
\newcommand{\N}{\mathbb{N}}
\newcommand{\R}{\mathbb{R}}
\newcommand{\C}{\mathbb{C}}
\newcommand{\F}{\mathcal{F}}
\newcommand{\norm}{\mathcal{N}}
\newcommand{\skn}{\sum_{k=1}^N{}}
\newcommand{\etat}{\tilde{\eta}}
\newcommand{\Sh}{\hat{S}}
\newcommand{\St}{\tilde{S}}
\newcommand{\Pt}{\tilde{P}}
\newcommand{\dX}{\delta X}
\newcommand{\Dx}{\Delta x}
\newcommand{\DX}{\Delta X}
\newcommand{\w}{\omega}
\newcommand{\W}{\Omega}
\newcommand{\one}[1]{\mathds{1}_{\{#1\}}}
\newcommand{\enstq}[2]{\left\{#1~\middle|~#2\right\}}

% *************** Theorems **************
\newtheoremstyle{note}% name 
	{1em}% Space above 
	{1em}% Space below 
	{\small\rmfamily}% Body font 
	{}% Indent amount
	{\color{MyDarkRed}\small\bfseries\rmfamily}% Theorem head font 
	{}% Punctuation after theorem head 
	{.5em}% Space after theorem head
	{}% Theorem head spec (can be left empty, meaning `normal')
	
\newtheoremstyle{example}% name 
	{\parskip}% Space above 
	{\parskip}% Space below 
	{}% Body font 
	{}% Indent amount
	{\bfseries}% Theorem head font 
	{}% Punctuation after theorem head 
	{\parskip}% Space after theorem head
	{}% Theorem head spec (can be left empty, meaning `normal')

\newtheorem{lemma}{Lemma}[section]
\newtheorem{prop}{Proposition}[section]
\newtheorem{cor}{Corollary}[section]
\newtheorem{defn}{Definition}[section]
\newtheorem{assumption}{Assumption}
\theoremstyle{note}
\newtheorem{note}{Remark}
\theoremstyle{example}
\newtheorem{example}{Example}

\setlength{\parskip}{1ex}
\setcounter{tocdepth}{2}
\setcounter{secnumdepth}{3}
\maxsecnumdepth{subsection}

% *************** Title page style **************

\newlength{\defbaselineskip}
\setlength{\defbaselineskip}{\baselineskip}
\newcommand{\doublespacing}{\setlength{\baselineskip}{2.0 \defbaselineskip}}
\newcommand{\spacing}[1]{\setlength{\baselineskip}{#1\defbaselineskip}}
\newcommand{\singlespacing}{\setlength{\baselineskip}{\defbaselineskip}}    

\makeatletter
\def\titlep{%
		\spacing{1.5}
    \thispagestyle{empty}%
    \begin{textblock*}{7cm}(10mm,13.5mm)
			\includegraphics[width = 55mm]{./Preamble/***.pdf}
		\end{textblock*}
    \null
    \headsep 5mm
    \vspace{35mm}
    \begin{center}
    	\hyphenpenalty=10000\LARGE\bfseries\uppercase\expandafter{\HUGE\@title}
    \end{center}
    \vfill
    \begin{center}
      \LARGE{\@author}
    \end{center}
    \vfill
    \begin{center}
    	{\Large ****\\ Department of Mathematics}
    \end{center}
    \vfill
    \begin{center}
    \emph{
        Thesis submitted to ****\\
        in the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of\\
        Master of Science in Mathematics and Finance\\
        \@date
    }
    \end{center}
    \vspace{35mm} 
    \newpage}
\makeatother

\def\maketitle{
    \pagenumbering{roman}
    \titlep
    }

[Stefan Kottwitz]

It's caused by babel, change

Code: Select all

\renewcommand*\abstractname{Summary}

into

Code: Select all

\addto\captionsenglish{\renewcommand*\abstractname{Summary}}

Stefan

[kaisquared]

Thanks a lot!

Could you explain to me quickly how you identified the problem and how Babel behaves on this particular point?

[Stefan Kottwitz]

I simply knew it, it's a frequently asked question, concerning some LaTeX names, I remembered that when I noticed babel was loaded. You will find a good explanation here in the UK TeX FAQ: Changing the words babel uses.

Stefan

[spiegboy]

Does it mean that for english users ,there is no need to load babel package