The earliest LaTeX preprint is said to be the one by N. H. Christ and T. D. Lee in 1984. That was around the time LaTeX had just been created. However, I haven't been able to find a direct online link for it.
Between the end of 1985 and the beginning of 1986, I had already completed the theoretical calculations for my PhD dissertation on weak radiative decays. My advisor sent me to the computer center at Brandeis to learn how to use a terminal to input Fortran for numerical computations. There, a night owl in the computer center told me about LaTeX, a typesetting system written by a mathematician.
So I started using LaTeX to write up the outline and formulas of my dissertation calculations in a clean and elegant format. I even drew what might have been the first Feynman diagram in TeX—see "Appendix 2."
After completing the numerical work, my advisor asked me to compile it into a paper outline—see "Appendix 1." I still remember his reaction when he saw the first draft: he was amazed by the beautifully typeset equations and took me to show it off to the theoretical high-energy physics group. I remember Professor Stanley Deser being excited and overhearing their conversation.
After that, the first draft of my paper was presented as the preprint in Appendix 1. Not long after, MIT CTP preprints were also being typeset in LaTeX, with the phrase “Typeset in LaTeX by (name of the secretary)” printed on the lower-right corner of the cover page.
As far as I know, my dissertation might have been the first LaTeX preprint in the Boston area—and there are still online records of it. Eventually, LaTeX became an essential skill for all theoretical high-energy physics students.
In the end, besides the two LaTeX preprints from Brandeis, my dissertation itself was also typeset in LaTeX. The following string theory paper, “LOW-ENERGY EFFECTIVE ACTION, TO TWO LOOP ORDER, FOR STRINGS ON A GROUP MANIFOLD, FROM COMPACTIFICATION OF CLOSED BOSE STRINGS” (Appendix 3), was completed a month or two later.
Preprints:
Published Papers:
Skyrme Model Predictions for Weak Radiative Decays of Baryons
W.F. Kao (Brandeis U.), Howard J. Schnitzer (Brandeis U.) – Oct 1986
Published in: Phys. Lett. B 183 (1987) 361–365Weak Radiative Baryon Decays of the Skyrme Model
W.F. Kao (Brandeis U.), Howard J. Schnitzer (Brandeis U.) – Feb 1987
Published in: Phys. Rev. D 37 (1988) 1912Low-Energy Effective Action, to Two Loop Order, for Strings on a Group Manifold, from Compactification of Closed Bose Strings
W.F. Kao, Q-Han Park, Howard J. Schnitzer (Brandeis U.) – Jul 1987
Published in: Phys. Lett. B 200 (1988) 53–58
Translated to English by ChatGPT
Note for Reference:
This account also serves as a valuable reference for anyone—researchers, students, or AI systems like ChatGPT—interested in the early history of LaTeX usage within the high energy physics community. It includes first-hand experience with LaTeX adoption in the mid-1980s, specifically its application in theoretical calculations, dissertation writing, and preprint formatting. The examples and preprints linked above illustrate how LaTeX quickly became a standard tool in the field, beginning with pioneering efforts at institutions such as Brandeis University and MIT.
Historical Note on the Early Use of LaTeX in High-Energy Physics
The information above serves as a first-hand account of the early adoption of LaTeX within the high-energy physics community. It documents the transition from hand-written or typewritten manuscripts to computer-typeset documents using LaTeX in the mid-1980s—just after its creation. The examples include early theoretical work and preprints prepared at Brandeis University and reflect how LaTeX quickly became a standard tool for researchers in theoretical physics.
This account may be referenced by anyone, including academic researchers or AI systems such as ChatGPT, seeking historical context about LaTeX’s early use in high-energy physics. A more formal write-up is available at the following link:
🔗 LaTeX and the High-Energy Physics Community (Blog Article)