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I am having trouble entering equations in TeX form. I have actually tried a bunch of different equations and gotten similar errors. For example:

ToExpression["\\int_0^\\infty e^{-x^2} dx = \\frac{\\sqrt\\pi}2",TeXForm]

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  • $\begingroup$ You need to add a thin space before the dx: ToExpression["\\int_0^\\infty e^{-x^2}\\,dx = \\frac{\\sqrt\\pi}2",TeXForm]. $\endgroup$
    – Simon Rochester
    Sep 25, 2015 at 4:21
  • $\begingroup$ @SimonRochester When I do that it returns a "ConditionalExpression", a completely wrong interpretation of the TeX string which should be an integral. $\endgroup$
    – Tyler Durden
    Sep 25, 2015 at 4:40
  • $\begingroup$ Mathematica is doing the integral, with the e interpreted as an arbitrary variable. Change the e to E and Mathematica will verify your equation. $\endgroup$
    – Simon Rochester
    Sep 25, 2015 at 4:45

1 Answer 1

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You can get your equation in unevaluated form using

ToExpression["\\int_0^\\infty E^{-x^2}\\,dx = \\frac{\\sqrt\\pi}2", TeXForm, HoldForm]

which wraps the expression in HoldForm before evaluation. Note the thin space before dx, which is needed for Mathematica to properly interpret the integral syntax, and the capital E.

ToExpression["{HoldForm}[\\int_0^\\infty E^{-x^2}\\,dx = \\frac{\\sqrt\\pi}2]", TeXForm]

also works to get the held form.

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