The characters listed below have specific functions in LaTeX and are referred to as "special printing characters" or simply "special characters:"
$ % & ~ _ ^ \ { }
When these special characters are used in your document, they perform specific tasks!
# (Hash): Used in commands like \# to indicate a number (e.g., item numbers in lists) or for special formatting purposes.
$ (Dollar): Begins and ends math mode. To print a dollar sign itself, use \textdollar.
% (Percent): Starts a comment. Everything on the line after % is ignored by LaTeX.
& (Ampersand): Used to separate columns in tables, aligning content at the &.
~ (Tilde): Produces a non-breaking space. It prevents LaTeX from breaking the line at that space.
_ (Underscore): Often used in math mode for subscripts (e.g., $x_1$).
^ (Caret): Used in math mode for superscripts (e.g., $x^2$).
\ (Backslash): The escape character in LaTeX. Used to begin commands (\section) and to print special characters (e.g., \% to print %).
{ } (Curly Braces): Used for grouping in commands and environments. Also used to specify arguments (e.g., \textbf{bold}).
We use backslash \when we want to write a code (like creating a figure, making text bold, etc.). If you wish to print any of these characters as they appear (like regular letters), you must precede them with a backslash \. For example, \# will produce # in your output.
