\\[*][extra-space]
The \\
command tells LaTeX to start a new line. It has an optional
argument, extra-space, that specifies how much extra vertical space is
to be inserted before the next line. This can be a negative amount.
The \\*
command is the same as the ordinary \\
command except that it
tells LaTeX not to start a new page after the line.
These commands are fragile.