Adjust the Line Spacing of Multiple-Equation Environments in LaTeX
May. 19, 2025 • Updated May. 23, 2025
In LaTeX, the length \jot controls the line spacing between multiple equations in the multiple-equation environments, and its default value is 3.0 pt1:
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\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
The default value of \verb*|\jot| is \the\jot.
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
a &= \dfrac12\\
b &= \dfrac34
\end{split}
\end{equation}
\begin{align}
a &= \dfrac12\\
b &= \dfrac34
\end{align}
\end{document}
So, we can set this kind of line spacing globally by setting \jot or adding length on it2:
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\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
The default value of \verb*|\jot| is \the\jot.
\setlength\jot{17pt}
%\addtolength{\jot}{17pt}
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
a &= \dfrac12\\
b &= \dfrac34
\end{split}
\end{equation}
\begin{align}
a &= \dfrac12\\
b &= \dfrac34
\end{align}
Now, the value is \verb*|\jot| is \the\jot.
\end{document}
Or, just put the setting inside of the equation environment to make the specification effective locally:
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\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
The default value of \verb*|\jot| is \the\jot.
\begin{equation}
\setlength\jot{17pt}
\begin{split}
a &= \dfrac12\\
b &= \dfrac34\\
& \text{Now, the value is \texttt{\textbackslash jot} is \the\jot.}
\end{split}
\end{equation}
Now, the value is \verb*|\jot| is \the\jot.
\begin{align}
a &= \dfrac12\\
b &= \dfrac34
\end{align}
Now, the value is \verb*|\jot| is \the\jot.
\end{document}
Another way to adjust the line spacing is adding [extra-space] after the \\ command, which is used to modify the line spacing for each time3:
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\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
a &= \dfrac12\\
b &= \dfrac34\\
\end{split}
\end{equation}
\begin{align}
a &= \dfrac12\\
b &= \dfrac34
\end{align}
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
a &= \dfrac12\\[1em]
b &= \dfrac34\\
\end{split}
\end{equation}
\begin{align}
a &= \dfrac12\\[3em]
b &= \dfrac34
\end{align}
\end{document}
References