majiayu000 LaTeX Compilation
Overview
Fix common LaTeX compilation errors systematically by running the full build sequence and addressing errors in order of dependency.
When to Use
- Document won't compile (pdflatex errors)
- "Undefined reference" or "multiply-defined labels" warnings
- Citations showing as
[?]or undefined - Cross-references not resolving
Quick Reference
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Undefined citations | Run: pdflatex → bibtex → pdflatex → pdflatex |
| Duplicate labels | Each \label{name} must be unique across document |
Empty \cite{} |
Remove or fill in citation key |
| Citation key mismatch | Ensure .tex keys match .bib entry names exactly |
| Cross-refs not updating | Run pdflatex twice after changes |
Full Compilation Sequence
pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode paper.tex
bibtex paper
pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode paper.tex
pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode paper.tex
Common Mistakes
Duplicate \label{} tags - Copy-pasting figures often duplicates labels. Search with:
grep -n 'label{' paper.tex | sort -t'{' -k2 | uniq -d -f1
Citation key typos - altabaa2025co vs altabaa2025cot causes undefined citation. Always verify keys match the .bib file exactly.
Running pdflatex only once - Cross-references and citations need multiple passes to resolve.
Empty citations - \cite{} causes warnings. Remove or add proper key.