On Tue, 20 Feb 2007, Vyatcheslav Yatskovsky wrote:

Hi, I'm ConTeXting a text that follows:

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% \setupwhitespace[big] \setupinterlinespace[line=2.5ex] \starttext

The Leslie Matrix is a matrix $L[1:X, 1:X]$ of the form

$$\left( {\matrix{ {a_1 } & {a_2 } & {a_3 } & \ldots & {a_X } \cr {b_1 } & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \cr 0 & {b_2 } & 0 & 0 & 0 \cr 0 & 0 & \ddots & 0 & 0 \cr 0 & 0 & 0 & {b_{X - 1} } & 0 \cr } } \right), $$

to build which we need to know $a_x$, {\em ability to reproduce}, an average number of offsprings within a time step from an individual of age class $x$, and $b_x$, {\em probability of surviving}, a fraction of individuals that survives from age class $x$ to age class $x+1$.

\stoptext %%%%%%%%%%%%

and a matrix has big spacing BEFORE and normal spacing AFTER.

Change $$ ... $$ to \startformula \stopformula

Interesting, but without two first setup lines, matrix glues to the subsequent text.

The use of $$ ... $$ for display math will not give you correct spacing. Always use \startformula ... \stopformula BTW, there is also \startmathmatrix in ConTeXt which allows you to \definemathmatrix[pmatrix] [left={\left(\,}, right={\,\right)}] \startformula \startpmatrix \NC {a_1 } \NC {a_2 } \NC {a_3 } \NC \ldots \NC {a_X } \NR \NC {b_1 } \NC 0 \NC 0 \NC 0 \NC 0 \NR \NC 0 \NC {b_2 } \NC 0 \NC 0 \NC 0 \NR \NC 0 \NC 0 \NC \ddots \NC 0 \NC 0 \NR \NC 0 \NC 0 \NC 0 \NC {b_{X - 1} } \NC 0 \NR \stoppmatrix \stopformula and some other fun stuff also. See My Way on math-align http://dl.contextgarden.net/myway/mathalign.pdf Aditya