FAQ > How do I do…? > Mathematics > Re-using an equation

Re-using an equation

To repeat an existing equation, one wants not only to have the same mathematics in it, one also wants to re-use the original label it had. The amsmath package comes to our help, here:

\usepackage{amsmath}
...
\begin{equation}
  a=b
  \label{eq1}
\end{equation}
...
Remember that
\begin{equation}
  a=b
  \tag{\ref{eq1}}
\end{equation}

Here, the second instance of a=b will be typeset with a copy, made by the \tag command, of the label of the first instance.

amsmath.sty: Distributed as part of AMSLaTeX amslatex

This question on the Web: http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=reuseq