What do the italics indicate in table of contents?

In a table of contents, italics typically indicate subheadings or subtopics within a larger section.

Here's a breakdown:

* Main headings: These are usually bold and indicate the major sections of the document.

* Subheadings: These are often italicized and show the smaller topics within each main heading.

For example:

Chapter 1: Introduction

* _What is this document about?_

* _The problem statement_

* _The purpose of this work_

In this example, "Chapter 1: Introduction" is the main heading, while "What is this document about?", "The problem statement", and "The purpose of this work" are subheadings, indicated by italics.

Important Note: While italics are the most common convention, there might be variations in different styles. Some publications might use bold for both main and subheadings, or use different font sizes to distinguish between the two.