Hello,
Scott Randby <[email protected]> writes:
> First, a_b_c and a_bc give nearly identical results when processed
> except that the spacing between letters in the subscript coming from
> a_b_c is wider than that in the subscript coming from a_bc. The spacing
> issue can be seen more clearly by comparing the processed versions of
> a_b_c_d and a_bcd. The wider spacing looks funny when compared to
> surrounding text.
>
> Second, I've been considering the issue of what the primary meaning of
> a_b_c should be when it is used in a file. Since underscores are used in
> LaTeX to designate subscripts in mathematical expressions, it is clear
> to me that a_b_c should mean a_(b_c) instead of a_(bc). Similarly, a^b^c
> should mean a^(b^c) instead of a^(bc). I really can't think of any case
> when I would type in a_b_c in order to get a_(bc).
I chose this translation because
1. It was the easiest to implement;
2. It is the closest to what Org (unlike to LaTeX) really sees;
3. It doesn't matter since it is a pathological case.
> Finally, I question the use of text style instead of math style when
> a_b, a^b, or similar expressions are exported to LaTeX. TeX was designed
> to produce beautiful typeset mathematics, and the math style is an
> essential part of that beauty. Math style is also the expected way of
> presenting mathematical expressions in all of the professional journals
> that I read and use. New users may not be aware of professional
> standards, but we could help them be aware by translating a_b_c as
> \(a_{b_{c}}\) exactly. Similarly a^b^c would be translated as
> \(a^{b^{c}}\) exactly.
I strongly disagree.
Org is not a front-end to LaTeX. LaTeX is but one of its export output
formats. In most of the others, sup/superscript doesn't force math mode
on the user.
In Org, if you want to enter math mode, you need to explicitly request
it, e.g., with:
a_{$1 + 1$}
> However, the translation of a_b_c doesn't matter a whole lot to me since
> I always use \(a_{b_{c}}\) or $a_{b_{c}}$ in my Org documents.
Exactly.
Regards,
--
Nicolas Goaziou
