Nabla in LaTeX

The LaTeX command for nabla gradient (∇) is \nabla (gradient / del operator).

\nabla

Calculus & Analysis · Unicode ∇ (U+2207) · no package needed

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Which command should you use?

Command	Package	Use it when
`\nabla f` recommended	none	Gradient of a scalar field.
`\nabla \cdot \mathbf{F}`	none	Divergence.
`\nabla \times \mathbf{F}`	none	Curl.
`\nabla^2 f`	none	Laplacian, also written \Delta f.
`\boldsymbol{\nabla}`	`amsmath`	Bold nabla, when vectors are bold.

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

Common mistake. \nabla f alone is the gradient, a vector. The Laplacian is \nabla^2 f or \Delta f, a scalar.

How to type Nabla

Write \nabla 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

$\nabla \cdot \mathbf{E} = \frac{\rho}{\varepsilon_0}$

\nabla \cdot \mathbf{E} = \frac{\rho}{\varepsilon_0}

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Often confused with

Delta \delta (δ)
Partial \partial (∂): partial derivative
Capital Delta \Delta (Δ)

Related Calculus & Analysis symbols

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Calculus and analysis symbols in LaTeX: the full table or search all 350+ LaTeX symbols.

FAQ

How do you write nabla gradient (∇) in LaTeX?

Use \nabla in math mode; it needs no extra package. For example, $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{E} = \frac{\rho}{\varepsilon_0}$.

Which package provides \nabla?

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

What is the most common mistake with nabla gradient in LaTeX?

\nabla f alone is the gradient, a vector. The Laplacian is \nabla^2 f or \Delta f, a scalar.