Latex Algorithm2e
Algorithm2e
Algorithm2e is a LaTeX package for typesetting algorithms in a more convenient way.
In this post, I will show you how to use the algorithm2e package to write algorithms in 2 column format, and how to customize the appearance of the algorithm. It was particularly hard for me to find a good example of how to use algorithm2e in a 2 column format, so I hope this post will be helpful to others.
The main reference for this post is the official documentation of the algorithm2e package.
The first step is to include the algorithm2e package in the preamble of your LaTeX document:
% Usually in preamble
\usepackage[inoutnumbered,linesnumbered,ruled,lined]{algorithm2e}
\usepackage{multicol}
\definecolor{mygreen}{rgb}{0,0.5,0}
\newcommand\mycommfont[1]{\footnotesize\ttfamily\textcolor{mygreen}{#1}}
\SetCommentSty{mycommfont}
The algorithm2e package provides a number of options for customizing the appearance of the algorithm. The options used in the above example are:
inoutnumbered: Number the input and output lines.linesnumbered: Number the lines of the algorithm.ruled: Draw a horizontal line at the top and bottom of the algorithm.lined: Draw a vertical line to visually show each block of the algorithm.
The multicol package is used to create a two-column layout for the algorithm.
The next line defines a custom color for the comments in the algorithm. The \mycommfont command is used to set the font and color of the comments. The \SetCommentSty command is used to apply the custom font and color to the comments.
Here is an example of how to use the algorithm2e package to write an algorithm in a two-column format. The algorithm is split into two columns using the multicol environment. The algorithm* environment is used to create a two-column layout for the algorithm. The trick algorithm2e is that it does not split the algorithm into two columns right in the middle of any block. So, we need to manually split the algorithm into two parts. To make the algorithm split into two parts, we intentionally end the function body and the while loop. This way, the algorithm will be split into two parts, and each part will be placed in a separate column.
\begin{algorithm*}
\begin{multicols}{2}
\SetAlgoShortEnd
\DontPrintSemicolon
\SetKwInput{KwInput}{Input}
\SetKwInput{KwOutput}{Output}
\SetKwFunction{FMain}{Main}
\SetKwProg{Loop}{while}{}{}
\SetKwProg{Fn}{Function}{:}{}
\KwIn{$input\_graph$}
\KwOut{$output\_graph$}
\Fn{$random\_function$}{
$counter \leftarrow 0$ \tcp{inline comment}
$edges$ \tcp{another comment}
$assign random \leftarrow 0$ \;
\For{$i \leftarrow 0$ \KwTo sizeof($edges$)}{
\uIf{$edges[i] \in new\_edges$ \textbf{and} $check(new\_edges, edges[i], random) > 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Enable \;
}\Else{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
\uIf{$edges[i] \in new\_edges$ \textbf{and} $check(old\_edges, edges[i], random) > 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Enable \;
}\Else{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
}
$edges \leftarrow $ \# Enable edges $+$ \# Enable vertices \;
\Loop {$edges\_size < edges$ \textbf{or} $counter < edges$}{
\For{$i \leftarrow 0$ \KwTo sizeof($edges$)}{
\uIf{$edges[i] \in new\_edges$ \textbf{and} $check(new\_edges, edges[i], random) > 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Enable \;
}\Else{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
\If{$edges[i] \in new\_edges$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Enable \;
}
}
} % Here is where we end the while loop intentionally to enable split of the algorithm
} % Here is where we end the function intentionally to enable split of the algorithm
\SetKwBlock{Begin}{}{return}
\tcp*[h]{Rest of the function body}
\Begin{
\SetKwBlock{Begin}{}{end\ while}
\tcp*[h]{Rest of the while body}
\Begin {
\uIf{$check(new\_edges, edges[i], random) > 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Enable \;
}
\uElseIf{$check(old\_edges, edges[i], random) > 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
\uElseIf{$check(old\_edges, edges[i], random) == 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
\Else{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
\For{$i \leftarrow 0$ \KwTo sizeof($edges$)}{
\uIf{$edges[i] \in new\_edges$ \textbf{and} $check(new\_edges, edges[i], random) > 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Enable \;
}\Else{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
\If{$edges[i] \in new\_edges$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Enable \;
}
}
\uIf{$check(new\_edges, edges[i], random) > 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Enable \;
}
\uElseIf{$check(old\_edges, edges[i], random) > 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
\uElseIf{$check(old\_edges, edges[i], random) == 0$}{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
\Else{
$vertex[i] \leftarrow$ Disable \;
}
} % End of while
} % End of find_agent
\caption{Random\ algorithm}
\label{Random Algorithm}
\end{multicols}
\end{algorithm*}
These two lines make sure that the function and while blocks are ended with no end or return keyword.
\SetKwProg{Loop}{while}{}{}
\SetKwProg{Fn}{Function}{:}{}
These two lines end the function and while blocks intentionally to enable the split of the algorithm.
} % Here is where we end the function intentionally to enable split of the algorithm
} % Here is where we end the while loop intentionally to enable split of the algorithm
Then, at the start of the next split, we make sure that the function and while blocks are started with no keywords (the first curly brackets are empty).
\SetKwBlock{Begin}{}{return}
\tcp*[h]{Rest of the function body}
\Begin{
\SetKwBlock{Begin}{}{end\ while}
\tcp*[h]{Rest of the while body}
\Begin {
This is how it should look like in the final document: