How to Get the Division Symbol with the physics Package

Title: How to Get the Division Symbol with the physics Package Category: latex

Short answer: The physics package uses the command \div for vector divergence, so it may no longer print the arithmetic division sign. Save LaTeX’s standard command before loading physics, then use the saved alias between numbers. Use \div for divergence, or write the operator explicitly as nabla dot.

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The arithmetic division sign is available as \div in standard LaTeX. However, the physics package uses \div for the vector-calculus divergence operator. If you need both meanings, save the standard command before loading the package and use that saved name for arithmetic.

Preserve the arithmetic symbol

Place \let\arithdiv\div after \documentclass and before \usepackage{physics}. The \let command copies the current meaning of \div to \arithdiv. After the package is loaded, use \arithdiv for the arithmetic sign.

Here is a complete example:

\documentclass{article}

\let\arithdiv\div
\usepackage{physics}

\begin{document}

\[
  12 \arithdiv 3 = 4
  \qquad
  \div \vb{F}
\]

\end{document}

The first expression uses the saved arithmetic division symbol. The second uses the physics package’s divergence operator on the vector field $\mathbf{F}$.

Why the commands differ

In ordinary LaTeX, \div produces the binary division symbol $\div$. The physics package assigns that command to divergence, conventionally written as $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{F}$. That is why simply typing \div after loading the package may produce a vector-calculus operator rather than the arithmetic symbol.

Saving the command before loading the package keeps its original meaning. The order matters: if you define the alias after loading physics, it will copy the package’s definition instead.

If you only need arithmetic division and do not need the package’s commands, another option is to omit physics; standard LaTeX’s \div will then produce the division sign.

Common mistakes

• Using \div for arithmetic after loading physics: in this package, it denotes divergence. Use the saved alias instead.
• Saving the alias too late: put \let\arithdiv\div before \usepackage{physics}.
• Using a slash when you want the division glyph: a/b is a slash-style quotient, not the ÷ symbol. For a displayed quotient, \frac{a}{b} is often clearer; for the division sign itself, use the saved command.

If you want to write divergence without relying on the package shortcut, use \nabla \cdot \mathbf{F} directly in math mode.