LaTeX frustration - defining commands with arguments

[Tickitata]

Hi all, I'm a beginner to typesetting using LaTeX. I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask (the stickied LaTeX thread in Tutorials seemed to be devoted to TeX for the forums)

Homework Statement

I'm attempting to define a command \mlegendre{x}{y} which returns the legendre symbol $$x \overwithdelims () y$$ once already in math mode. My \legendre{x}{y}, to be used while in text mode, seems to be working just fine.

Homework Equations

N/A

The Attempt at a Solution

My attempt is
\newcommand{\mlegendre}[2]{#1 \overwithdelims () #2}

but this is producing very odd results in some places, and causing errors in others. For example,

$g_2 = \mlegendre{0}{7} $

produces $$g_2 = 0 \overwithdelims () 7$$

/edit: okay well, apparently I don't know how to use PF's tex commands either, haha. In the first, it should have x in the top, and in the second, it should have parentheses around it.

Cheers!

 

[Tickitata]

Ah nevermind, I think I've got it with
\newcommand{\mlegendre}[2]{(\frac{#1}{#2})}

 

[oswaler]

Hello! I understand the frustration that comes with learning a new language or tool. LaTeX can be tricky at first, but with practice and patience, you will become more comfortable with it.

Regarding your attempt at defining the \mlegendre command, I would suggest using the \genfrac{}{}{}{}{}{} command instead of \overwithdelims. This will allow you to specify the size and style of the parentheses, making it more versatile for different situations.

Your command would look like this:

\newcommand{\mlegendre}[2]{\genfrac{(}{)}{}{}{#1}{#2}}

This will give you the desired output of $\mlegendre{x}{y}$ in math mode. Please note that this command will only work in math mode, so you may want to consider defining a separate command for text mode if needed.

I hope this helps and good luck with your typesetting!