# How to set a specific chapter or section number in LaTeX

📅 2012-Nov-30 ⬩ ✍️ Ashwin Nanjappa ⬩ 🏷️ chapter, counter, latex, numbering, section ⬩ 📚 Archive

Problem

LaTeX automatically numbers the chapters and sections that appear in a document. But sometimes it might be necessary to override the default numbering and assign a specific chapter or section number.

Solution

LaTeX maintains internal counters named as `chapter` and `section` that hold the chapter and section number. The value in the chapter counter is zero at the beginning of the document. The value in the section counter is zero at the beginning of every chapter. Every `\chapter` or `\section` command increments this counter.

So, a specific chapter or section number can be specified by manipulating the value inside this counter. The value in these counters can be set by using the `\setcounter` command.

For example, to have a chapter numbered 99 come right after chapter 1:

``````\chapter{First chapter}
%...
\setcounter{chapter}{98}