# Symbols:Brace

## Symbol

The braces are the "curly brackets": $\set {}$

The $\LaTeX$ code for $\{$ is \{  or \lbrace.

The $\LaTeX$ code for $\}$ is \}  or \rbrace.

## Usage

Braces are used in the following contexts:

To denote a set, for example: $\set {a, b, c}$
To denote a Laplace transform: $\laptrans {f \paren t}$
To denote a Stirling number of the second kind: $\displaystyle {n \brace k}$
In a definition by cases, for example: $n! = \begin{cases} 1 & : n = 0 \\ n \paren {n - 1} & : n \ne 0 \end{cases}$
To denote the fractional part of a real number $x$: $\set x = x - \floor x$
As general parameter delimiters in $\TeX$ and $\LaTeX$.

The $\LaTeX$ code for $\set {a, b, c}$ is \set {a, b, c} .

The $\LaTeX$ code for $\laptrans {f \paren t}$ is \laptrans {f \paren t} .

The $\LaTeX$ code for $\displaystyle {n \brace k}$ is \displaystyle {n \brace k} .

The $\LaTeX$ code for $\begin{cases} a & : n = 0 \\ b & : n \ne 0 \end{cases}$ is \begin{cases} a & : n = 0 \\ b & : n \ne 0 \end{cases} .