[Tex/LaTex] Lower indices height

math-modesubscriptsvertical alignment

Adding a subscript to a dagged variable, the subscript is lower than when it is added to an undagged variable. Here's an example:

$c^{\dagger}_R c_R c^{\dagger}_R c_R c^{\dagger}_R c_R c^{\dagger}_R c_R $

I tried to solve the problem using subdepth package but it doesn't work.
I also tried an awkward solution with dummy upper indices:

$c^{\dagger}_R c^{}_R c^{\dagger}_R c^{}_R c^{\dagger}_R c^{}_R c^{\dagger}_R c^{}_R $

but still doesn't work.
I'd like to have all the "R" subscripts at the same height; possibly I'd like to lower the subscripts of the undagged variable at the height of the dagged ones.

Best Answer

In this instance you can use \mathstrut as a supplement for the missing \dagger:

enter image description here

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xcolor}% http://ctan.org/pkg/xcolor
\begin{document}
\leavevmode\rlap{$c_R c^{\dagger}_R c^{\mathstrut}_R$}%
{\color{black!20}\rule[-1ex]{4em}{.4pt}}

\leavevmode{\color{red}\rlap{$c^{\mathstrut}_R$}}$c^\dagger_R$

\leavevmode{\color{red}\rlap{$c^{}_R$}}$c^\dagger_R$
\end{document}

The horizontal rule in the output is just for reference in the first output.

The second output prints an overlay between the \mathstrut and \dagger superscript versions, while the third output overlays the {} and \dagger superscript versions (using xcolor). The differences is more noticeable this way.

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Automatically Raising Subscripts

Here's an emulation of what you'd get by raising the superscript. In the first line the result of

$J_{ne}\bm{\mathsf{J}}_{ne}^{-1}$
$J^{}_{ne}\bm{\mathsf{J}}_{ne}^{-1}$

showing left the bad output and on the right the recommended one; in the second line the emulation of raising the superscript (obtained by pretending that the subscript has zero width and adding a superscript to \mathstrut:

$J_{ne}\bm{\mathsf{J}}_{ne}^{-1}$
$J_{ne}\bm{\mathsf{J}}_{\mathrlap{ne}}{\mathstrut}^{-1}$

enter image description here

Next the two examples embedded in text, in the same order; I've no doubt in choosing the first one (lowering the subscript).

enter image description here

[Tex/LaTex] Vertical positioning of superscripts with different heights

You can use a \mathstrut:

\documentclass{book}
\begin{document}
\[ C{\mathstrut}^{\,\,l_\beta}_{m_\beta}{\mathstrut}^2_0{\mathstrut}^{\,\,l_\alpha}_{m_\alpha} \]
\end{document}

enter image description here

Here is a proposition which may be fine tuned.

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
\[C\!%
\begin{smallmatrix}
l_{\beta} & \!\!2 & \!\!l_{\alpha} \\
m_{\beta} & \!\!0 & \!\!m_{\alpha}
\end{smallmatrix}
\]
\end{document}

enter image description here

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Automatically Raising Subscripts

[Tex/LaTex] Vertical positioning of superscripts with different heights

Related Question