# Re: space before Eqnarray

```Eli Brosh wrote:
```
```Hello,
When I insert a displayed eqnarray equation LyX puts extra space (around two
blank lines) before the equation.
How can this be avoided ?```
```
```
```
```
This is done by LaTeX, not by LyX, because the benevolent gods of typesetting have apparently decreed it. If you really want to reduce the space for all displayed equations, put the following two lines in ERT early in your document (they don't seem to work in the preamble):
```
\abovedisplayskip=0pt
\abovedisplayshortskip=0pt

```
The first specifies blank vertical space between text and following displayed math formula when the text line passes above the formula; the second applies when the text line stops short of passing over the formula. Change 0pt to whatever you want if you want to leave a little vertical space. Note that this applies to all displayed math formulas, not just to equation arrays.
```
```
For details, see section 11.5.1 of Herbert Voss's "Math mode" document (version 2.33).
```
/Paul

```