The Basic Structure

Every PGFPlots graphic follows this structure:

Your First Plot

Let's plot a simple function:

This creates a basic plot of x² with automatic axis scaling.

Adding Labels and Title

Styling Your Plot

Plotting Data Points

Plot specific coordinates instead of functions:

Line Styles and Markers

Setting Axis Limits

Multiple Plots

Complete Beginner Example

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Missing compat setting: Always include \pgfplotsset{compat=1.18}
• Forgetting tikzpicture: The axis environment must be inside tikzpicture.
• Incorrect function syntax: Use sin(deg(x)) not sin(x) for trig functions.
• Missing semicolons: Each \addplot command ends with a semicolon.

Next Steps

Continue learning PGFPlots:

• Basic Setup - Configuration options
• Line Plots - Detailed line plot tutorial
• Scatter Plots - Visualize data points