In LaTeX it is possible to make presentations using the document class
beamer. An empty presentation looks as follows:
\documentclass{beamer}
\usetheme{Copenhagen}
\author{Bert}
\title{A tale of two primes}
\begin{document}
\end{document}
To make slides you can use the frame environment with the title of
your slide as the single argument. For example one could write (inside
the document environment):
\begin{frame}
\titlepage
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}{Article}
Some text about the article.
\end{frame}
\begin{frame}{Mathematica}
A helpful tool for mathematicians.
\end{frame}
This gives a title slide and two slides with a header and some text.
To order the information in your presentation you can use the block,
columns, enumerate and itemize environments. The block
environment is a beamer specific environment which can be used in the
following way:
\begin{frame}{Article}
\begin{block}{Example}
This is an example of a block.
\end{block}
\begin{block}{Euclid's theorem}
This is a theorem.
\end{block}
\end{frame}
The block’s header can be removed by adding an empty group {} after
\begin{block}.
If you want the elements of your slide to appear one by one you can use
\pause. This command can be placed almost anywhere in the code. For
example between two block environments:
\begin{frame}{Article}
\begin{block}{Definition}
This is a definition.
\end{block}
\pause
\begin{block}{Euclid's theorem}
This is a theorem.
\end{block}
\end{frame}
or in an enumerate
\begin{frame}{Title}
\begin{enumerate}
\item Element
\pause
\item Element
\pause
\item Element
\end{enumerate}
\end{frame}
Using the \uncover command you can precisely determine when each part of the slide will appear. This command gives more
flexibility than the \pause command. Below an example how the command \uncover can be used
\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Sets}
A \alert{set} is a collection of objects.\uncover<2->{ For example:
\[
Z=\{\text{cow},\text{pig},\text{elephant}\}.}
\]
\uncover<3->{We call the objects in $Z$ the \alert{elements} of $Z$.}\uncover<4->{ We write
\[
\text{cow} \in Z
\]}
\uncover<5->{with ``cow is an element of $Z$''.}\uncover<6->{ Frequently encountered sets are}
\[
\begin{split}
\uncover<7->{\mathbb{N}} \uncover<8->{= \{1,2,3,\ldots \}}&\uncover<9->{ \qquad (\text{``natural numbers''})\\}
\uncover<10->{\mathbb{Z}} \uncover<11->{= \{\ldots,-2,-1,0,1,2,\ldots \}}&\uncover<12->{ \qquad (\text{``integer numbers''})\\}
\uncover<13->{\mathbb{Q}} \uncover<14->{= \{p/q : p,q\in\mathbb{Z} \text{ and } q\neq 0\} }&\uncover<15->{\qquad (\text{``rational numbers''})\\}
\uncover<16->{\mathbb{R}} \uncover<17->{= \{\hbox{decimal numbers}\}}&\uncover<18->{\quad\qquad (\text{``real numbers''})}
\end{split}
\]
\end{frame}
It is also possible to use \uncover in the align environment. For example
\begin{frame}
The derivative of $f(x) = g(x) \cdot h(x)$, with $g(x) = x^2$ and $h(x) = \sin(x)$ equals
\begin{align*}
f'(x) \uncover<2->{&= g'(x) \cdot h(x) +} \uncover<3->{g(x) \cdot h'(x)} \\
&\uncover<4->{= 2x \cdot \sin(x) +} \uncover<5->{x^2\cdot \cos(x).}
\end{align*}
\end{frame}
The enumeration in the angle brackets in the \uncover command indicates the order at which these will appear on the slide, i.e. \uncover<1-> will appear first and \uncover<10-> will appear as tenth. This enumeration holds within a specific frame, in the next frame it resets and you can start again from \uncover<1->. Note that \uncover<1-3> means the specific content will appear only on the first three slides, after that it will disappear again.
Within an \itemize environment you can also indicate the order at which the various items will appear, this is done as follows:
\begin{itemize}
\item<4-> $[a,b]\uncover<5->{=\{x\in\mathbb{R} : a\leq x\leq b\}$,}
\item<6-> $(a,b)\uncover<7->{=\{x\in\mathbb{R} : a< x< b\}$,}
\item<8-> $(a,\infty)\uncover<9->{=\{x\in\mathbb{R} : x>a\}$.}
\end{itemize}
Previously we used the beamer theme Copenhagen. More themes can be
found in the Beamer Theme
Matrix. Try adding the
following lines in the preamble.
\usetheme{Warsaw}
\usecolortheme{beaver}
A beamer template in the style of the University of Amsterdam can be found here.
Try to deliver one message to your fellow students; if you succeed doing just that, your presentation is already a success. If you want your audience to remember something, say it early on in your presentation.
A presentation is a story that the presenter tells the audience. The
beamer slides only serve to support that story. Don’t write down
everything that you want to say, filter the content. Try to replace
text by pictures where possible.
Abstract definitions can be hard for the audience to grasp immediately. Illustrate definitions using examples. Sometimes it is convenient to give an example before stating the formal definition.
You only get a short time. Keep this in mind when creating the presentation and make sure to practise it to ensure its length is good. Also keep the length in mind when choosing the number of frames.