Important Symbols
plus/minus sign       (±)             \pm
times symbol          (×)             \times
division symbol       (÷)             \div
tilde sign            (~)             \sim 
degree                (°)             $^{\circ}$
permil                ()              \permil

Influencing Symbols
Backwards (grave) accent    \`{x}         tout \`{a} vous = tout à vous
Forward (acute) accent      \'{x}         Gonzal\'{e}z = Gonzaléz
Caret symbol                \^{x}         \`{a} bient\^{o} = à bientô
Dieresis (umlaut)           \"{x}         f\"{u}r = für

Anführungszeichen: "`Zitat"'
Double quote:  \dq

Referencing
\label{LABEL}   create a label to reference it (capital matters)
\ref{LABEL}     Reference to chapter
\pageref{LABEL} Reference to page (Seite~\pageref{VFT})


Formatting
{\it this text will be italic}
{\bf this text will be boldface}
{\tt this text will be typewriter}
{\sc this test will be smallcaps(Kapitälchen)}

Images (Graphics, Pictures)
for .ps use eps
\usepackage{graphicx}
\graphicspath{{dir_list/}} # the {{}} and slash in the end is no joke
\includegraphics{insert_me}

Enumerate
\begin{enumerate}
  \item text
  ...
\end{enumerate}

Columns
\multicolumn{Anzahl}{Format}{Text}

Sections
\begin{abstract} ... \end{abstract}

Listings
http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/~berland/latex/docs/listings.pdf


References:
http://www.weinelt.de/latex/
http://www.agu.org/meetings/mtabsLTX.html