TeX/penalty

Synopsis

\penalty<number>
\binoppenalty=<number>
\brokenpenalty=<number>
\clubpenalty=<number>
\displaywidowpenalty=<number>
\exhyphenpenalty=<number>
\floatingpenalty=<number>
\hyphenpenalty=<number>
\interlinepenalty=<number>
\linepenalty=<number>
\postdisplaypenalty=<number>
\predisplaypenalty=<number>
\relpenalty=<number>
\widowpenalty=<number>

Description

`\penalty` sets the penalty for a line or page break at that point.

Some penalties are built in to the TeX system and inserted automatically:

• `\binoppenalty` for a line break in math mode after a binary operator.
• `\brokenpenalty` for a page break, where the last line of the previous page contains a hyphenation.
• `\clubpenalty` for a broken page, with a single line of a paragraph remaining on the bottom of the preceding page.
• `\displaywidowpenalty` for a break before last line of a paragraph.
• `\exhyphenpenalty` for hyphenating a word which already contains a hyphen.
• `\floatingpenalty` for splitting an insertion.
• `\hyphenpenalty` for line breaking at an automatically inserted hyphen.
• `\interlinepenalty` for the penalty added after each line of a paragraph.
• `\linepenalty` the badness of each line within a paragraph.
• `\postdisplaypenalty` for a break after a display.
• `\predisplaypenalty` for a break before a display.
• `\relpenalty` for a line break at a relation.
• `\widowpenalty` for a broken page, with a single line of a paragraph (called "widow") remaining on the top of the succeeding page.

Default

LaTeX for example sets these default values for built in penalties:

\binoppenalty=700
\brokenpenalty=100
\clubpenalty=150
\displaywidowpenalty=50
\exhyphenpenalty=50
\floatingpenalty=20000
\hyphenpenalty=50
\interlinepenalty=0
\linepenalty=10
\postdisplaypenalty=0
\predisplaypenalty=10000
\relpenalty=500
\widowpenalty=150