[Tex/LaTex] paren symbol cut in half

symbols

I'm trying to accomplish something like this:
enter image description here

I went through the comprehensive latex symbol list and didn't manage to find a symbol that looks suitably like this.

Notice the symbol is basically a normal paren symbol cut in half:

enter image description here

where the bit in red is the segment of the symbol I want. The first picture posted was done in word (unicode apparently allows you to insert these sorts of paren segments)..
Haven't figured out how to do this in Latex yet though..

Is there some way (package, etc) to accomplish this?

Best Answer

One option

enter image description here

\documentclass{scrartcl}

\usepackage{mathtools,amssymb}
\usepackage{scalerel,adjustbox}

\newcommand*\lpasymbolaux[1]{\adjustbox{clip,trim=0pt 0pt 0pt {.45\totalheight}}{\ensuremath{#1(}}}
\newcommand*\rpasymbolaux[1]{\adjustbox{clip,trim=0pt 0pt 0pt {.45\totalheight}}{\ensuremath{#1)}}}
\newcommand\lpa[1][]{\mathopen{\stretchrel*{\lpasymbolaux{#1}}{#1(}}}
\newcommand\rpa[1][]{\mathclose{\stretchrel*{\rpasymbolaux{#1}}{#1(}}}

\begin{document}

$\lpa a,b\rpa$

\end{document}

You can also use the optional argument to declare the size: \[ \lpa[\bigg]\frac{a}{b}\rpa[\bigg] \]. Of couse, you could and should define a semantic command for, probably, the pair of them, like \abs{x} instead of |x|, well \whatever{a,b} and \whatever[\bigg]{a,b} rather than \lpa a,b\rpa.

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