Cdot in LaTeX

The LaTeX command for cdot (⋅) is \cdot (centered dot (scalar product)).

\cdot

Binary Operators · Unicode ⋅ (U+22C5) · no package needed

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Which command should you use?

Command	Package	Use it when
`\cdot` recommended	none	Centred dot: products, dot products.
`\cdots`	none	Centred ellipsis, as in a_1 + \cdots + a_n.
`\ldots`	none	Ellipsis on the baseline, for lists such as x_1, \ldots, x_n.
`\times`	none	Cross: dimensions, cross products.

Table 1. Ways to write cdot in LaTeX. Every line was compiled with pdfLaTeX (TeX Live 2026) loading only the package shown.

Common mistake. A period . sits on the baseline, and \cdot\cdot\cdot is badly spaced: write \cdot for one dot and \cdots for three.

How to type Cdot

Write \cdot inside math mode, that is between $…$ for inline math or in a \[ … \] or equation block for display math. It is part of core LaTeX math, so no extra package is required.

Example

$\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{v} = u_1 v_1 + \cdots + u_n v_n$

\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{v} = u_1 v_1 + \cdots + u_n v_n

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Often confused with

Times \times (×): cross product / multiplication
Bullet \bullet (∙)

Related Binary Operators symbols

\boxplus\boxtimes\boxminus+-\times\div\ast\star\circ\bullet\oplus\ominus\otimes

Binary operators in LaTeX: the full table or search all 350+ LaTeX symbols.

FAQ

How do you write cdot (⋅) in LaTeX?

Use \cdot in math mode; it needs no extra package. For example, $\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{v} = u_1 v_1 + \cdots + u_n v_n$.

Which package provides \cdot?

None: \cdot is built into LaTeX, so no extra package is required.

What is the most common mistake with cdot in LaTeX?

A period . sits on the baseline, and \cdot\cdot\cdot is badly spaced: write \cdot for one dot and \cdots for three.