--- /dev/null
+\RequirePackage{relsize} % for \smaller
+\RequirePackage{amsmath} % for \text{}
+
+% Author, Copyright junk
+\newcommand{\copytitle}{
+ \begin{center}
+ Copyright \copyright\ \today\ by W.\ Trevor King\\
+ \smaller{This document is distributed under the GNU Free Documentation License.}
+ \end{center}
+}
+
+% define theorem environments
+\newtheorem{thm}{Theorem}
+\newtheorem{cor}[thm]{Corollary}
+\newtheorem{lem}{Lemma}
+
+\newcommand{\U}[1]{\text{ #1}} % units shortcut
+\newcommand{\E}[1]{\ensuremath{\cdot 10 ^{#1}}} % exponent shortcut
+\newcommand{\dg}{\ensuremath{^{\circ}}} % degree symbol ^o
+\newcommand{\vect}[1]{\ensuremath{\mathbf{#1}}} % make vectors bold
+
+\newcommand{\Ohm}{\ensuremath{\Omega}} % units of resistance
+\newcommand{\EMF}{\ensuremath{\mathcal{E}}} % electro-motive force
+
+\newcommand{\ihat}{\vect{\hat{i}}}
+\newcommand{\jhat}{\vect{\hat{j}}}
+\newcommand{\khat}{\vect{\hat{k}}}
+\newcommand{\rhat}{\vect{\hat{r}}}
+
+\newcommand{\avg}[1]{\ensuremath{\left\langle {#1} \right\rangle}} % average
+\newcommand{\dt}[1]{\ensuremath{\dot{#1}}} % first deriv with respect to time
+\newcommand{\ddt}[1]{\ensuremath{\ddot{#1}}} % 2nd deriv with respect to time
+% the proper d to be used in derivatives and integrals
+\newcommand{\dd}{\ensuremath{\mathrm d}}
+% derivative of #2 with respect to #1
+\newcommand{\deriv}[2]{\ensuremath{\frac{\dd{#2}}{\dd{#1}}}}
+% #1th order derivative of #3 with respect to #2
+\newcommand{\nderiv}[3]{\ensuremath{\frac{\dd^{#1}{#3}}{\dd{#2}^{#1}}}}
+% partial derivative of #2 with respect to #1
+\newcommand{\pderiv}[2]{\ensuremath{\frac{\partial#2}{\partial#1}}}
+% #1th order partial derivative of #3 with respect to #2
+\newcommand{\npderiv}[3]{\ensuremath{\frac{\partial^{#1}{#3}}{\partial{#2}^{#1}}}}
+
+% parenthesis, for example (some stuff] would be \p({some stuff}]
+\newcommand{\p}[3]{\left#1 #2 \right#3}
+
+% parts for multi-part problems and solutions (use problempack.sty instead)
+%\newcommand{\Part}[1]{\textcolor{Red}{(#1)}}
+% highlight answers in solutions
+%\newcommand{\ans}[1]{\textcolor{Red}{#1}}
+
+% struts for table spacing
+\newcommand{\Tstrut}{\rule{0pt}{2.6ex}}
+\newcommand{\Bstrut}{\rule[-1.2ex]{0pt}{0pt}}
+
+% \numberwithin{equation}{section}% number equations by section
+% \setcounter{secnumdepth}{0} % turn off section numbering below this level
+
+
+% tighter lists, a la alvin alexander
+% http://www.devdaily.com/blog/post/latex/control-line-spacing-in-itemize-enumerate-tags/
+
+\newenvironment{packed_enum}{
+\begin{enumerate}
+ \setlength{\itemsep}{1pt}
+ \setlength{\parskip}{0pt}
+ \setlength{\parsep}{0pt}
+}{\end{enumerate}}
+
+\newenvironment{packed_item}{
+\begin{itemize}
+ \setlength{\itemsep}{1pt}
+ \setlength{\parskip}{0pt}
+ \setlength{\parsep}{0pt}
+}{\end{itemize}}