X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil t nil]
	[nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil])
Date:         Tue, 17 Jul 90 16:39:01 CET
Reply-To: LaTeX-L Mailing list <LATEX-L%DHDURZ1@unido.bitnet>
From: bbeeton <BNB@MATH.AMS.COM>
Subject:      Re: two-column output
To: Rainer Schoepf <BK4@DHDURZ1.uucp>
Status: R
X-Status: 
X-Keywords:                  
X-UID: 193

let's restate the implicit requirements of this type of job.
1. it's important that columns be balanced, and, preferably, that
   the baseline of the bottom line actually be at the lowest possible
   baseline.
2. this implies that, preferably, in the presence of only text and
   section headings, baselines in the two columns be aligned.
3. full-width inserts are permitted, and should not change the first
   two requirements.

let's assume that the vsize has been set so that it equals an integer
multiple of the baselineskip plus topskip, and that maxdepth is set
to a value that accommodates all reasonable bottom-line text.
if i were tackling this problem, i would home in on the effect of the
full-width figure, and make the length of that insert (including any
skip which follows it) a multiple of the baselineskip, so that the
remaining length of either column is still a multiple of baselineskip
plus topskip.  whether making this modification to the latex insertion
routine is straightforward is unclear to me, but i think this is the
most logical way to try to achieve the desired effect.
                                                -- bb