Two-Dimensional Expression Input—Wolfram Documentation

Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center

Two-Dimensional Expression Input

Moving through Expressions	Typing Matrices
Selecting and Deleting Expressions	Typing Superscripts
Typing Fractions	Typing Subscripts
Typing Powers	Typing Overscripts
Typing Square Roots	Typing Underscripts
Typing Radicals

Moving through Expressions

Moving the Cursor by Typing

You can use the keyboard to move the cursor forward or backward one character or one word at a time. You can also delete the character or word to the right or the left of the cursor, and you can move the cursor to the beginning or end of a line.

Getting out of an Expression

Move to the end of the next-higher subexpression by pressing Ctrl and Space at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space repeatedly:

Selecting the Next Placeholder

Select the next placeholder by pressing the Tab key.

Pressing the Tab key:

Press Tab repeatedly:

Select the previous placeholder by pressing Shift and Tab at the same time.

Press Shift and Tab at the same time:

Press Shift+Tab repeatedly:

Switching Positions

Move back and forth between complementary positions by pressing Ctrl+5 or Ctrl+%.

First, alternate between a radicand and an index:

Press Ctrl+%:

Press Ctrl+%.

Next, alternate between a superscript and a subscript:

Press Ctrl+%.

Finally, alternate between an overscript and an underscript:

Press Ctrl+%:

Press Ctrl+%.

Selecting and Deleting Expressions

Selecting the Next-Higher Subexpression

Select the next-higher subexpression by pressing Ctrl+..

Press Ctrl+. repeatedly:

Deleting to Destructure an Expression

Get rid of the contents of an expression and destructure it by pressing Del (or Backspace).

Press Backspace repeatedly:

Another Example

Press Backspace repeatedly:

Typing Fractions

Typing

Start with the expression that will be the numerator.

Type x:

Create a built-up fraction by pressing the Control and / keys at the same time. The placeholder in the denominator is already selected.

Press Ctrl+/:

Fill in the denominator.

Type y:

Move the insertion point out of the fraction by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

Start with the expression that will be the numerator.

Type x:

Create a built-up fraction by pressing the Control and / keys at the same time. The placeholder in the denominator is already selected.

Press Ctrl+/:

Fill in the denominator.

Type y:

Move the insertion point out of the fraction by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Once the insertion point is out of the fraction, you can continue typing.

Type +z:

Typing

Start with the expression that will be the numerator.

Type x:

Create a built-up fraction by pressing the Control and / keys at the same time. The placeholder in the denominator is already selected.

Press Ctrl+/:

Fill in the denominator.

Type y:

Continue typing in the denominator and then move out of the fraction.

Type +z:

Move the insertion point out of the fraction by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

Create a built-up fraction with Ctrl+/. The numerator and denominator contain placeholders; the one in the numerator is selected.

Press Ctrl+/:

Type an expression in the numerator.

Type x+y:

Select the placeholder in the denominator by pressing the Tab key. (Alternatively, you can select the placeholder by clicking it or dragging.)

Press Tab:

Fill in the numerator.

Type z:

Get out of the fraction by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Another Way of Typing

Start with the expression that will be the numerator.

Type x+y:

Select the expression. (You can select by dragging, by pressing Ctrl+. repeatedly, or by clicking the expression repeatedly.)

Select it:

Create a built-up fraction by pressing Ctrl+/.

Press Ctrl+/:

Fill in the denominator.

Type z:

Get out of the fraction by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing Powers

Typing x^m

Start with the expression that will be the base.

Type x:

Create a built-up power by pressing the Control key and the 6 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+6 or Ctrl+^:

Type the exponent into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type m:

Move the insertion point out of the exponent down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing x^m+yⁿ

Start with the expression that will be the base.

Type x:

Create a built-up power by pressing the Control key and the 6 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+6 or Ctrl+^:

Type the exponent into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type m:

Move the insertion point out of the exponent down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Type +:

Add the second power in a similar way.

Type y, press Ctrl+^, type n, and press Ctrl+Space:

Typing x^m+n

Start with the expression that will be the base.

Type x:

Create a built-up power by pressing the Control key and the 6 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+6 or Ctrl+^:

Type the exponent into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type m+n:

Move the insertion point out of the exponent down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

Start with the expression that will be the base.

Type x:

Create a built-up power by pressing the Control key and the 6 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+6 or Ctrl+^:

Type the exponent into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type m:

Construct a built-up fraction in the exponent.

Press Ctrl+/, type n:

Press the Control key and the Space bar twice to get down to the baseline.

Press Ctrl+Space twice:

Typing Square Roots

Typing

To get a square root sign, press the Control key and the 2 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+2 or Ctrl+@:

Type inside the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type x:

Press the Control key and the Space bar at the same time to get out of the square root.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

To get a square root sign, press the Control key and the 2 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+2 or Ctrl+@:

Type inside the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type x:

Press the Control key and the Space bar at the same time to get out of the square root.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Type the second square root in the same way as the first.

Press Ctrl+@, type y, and press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

To get a square root sign, press the Control key and the 2 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+2 or Ctrl+@:

Type inside the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type x y:

Press the Control key and the Space bar at the same time to get out of the square root.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Another Way of Typing

Start by typing the expression that will be inside the square root.

Type x y:

Select the expression. (You can select by dragging, by pressing Ctrl+. repeatedly, or by clicking the expression repeatedly.)

Select x y:

Press the Control key and the @ key at the same time to put a square root around the selection.

Press Ctrl+@:

Get out of the square root by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing Radicals

Typing

To get a radical, press the Control key and the 2 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+2 or Ctrl+@:

Type the radicand inside the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type x:

Press the Control key and the 5 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+5 or Ctrl+%:

Type the index.

Type n:

Get out of the radical and down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

To get a radical, press the Control key and the 2 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+2 or Ctrl+@:

Type the radicand inside the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type x:

Press the Control key and the 5 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+5 or Ctrl+%:

Type the index.

Type n:

Get out of the radical and down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Type the second radical in the same way as the first.

Press Ctrl+@, type y, press Ctrl+%, type n, and press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

To get a radical, press the Control key and the 2 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+2 or Ctrl+@:

Type the expression in the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type x y:

Press the Control key and the % key at the same time to create an index.

Press Ctrl+%:

Type the index in the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type n:

Get out of the radical and down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing Matrices

Creating a New Matrix

Choose Insert ▶ Table/Matrix ▶ New. Use the dialog box that pops up to create a matrix:

Filling in Placeholders in a Matrix

Suppose the entry in the top-left position is selected.

Type an entry and select the next placeholder with the Tab key; repeat. (Use Shift+Tab to go backward.)

Type a, press Tab:

Type b, press Tab:

Type c, press Tab:

Press the Control key and the Space bar at the same time to get out of the grid.

Type d, press Ctrl+Space:

Move the insertion point to get out of the matrix.

Press RightArrow:

Adding a New Column in a Matrix

Place the insertion point to the right of any entry; here the insertion point is to the right of the entry at the top left.

Place the insertion point:

Press the Control and Comma keys at the same time. A column of placeholders will appear, with the top one selected.

Press Ctrl+Comma:

Adding a New Row in a Matrix

Place the insertion point to the right of any entry; here the insertion point is to the right of the entry at the top left.

Place the insertion point:

Press the Control and Enter keys at the same time. A row of placeholders will appear, with the first one selected.

Press Ctrl+Enter:

Typing Superscripts

Typing Superscript xⁱ

Type the symbol that will have the superscript.

Type x:

Create a superscript by pressing the Control key and the 6 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+6 or Ctrl+^:

Type the superscript into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type i:

Move the insertion point out of the superscript position down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing Superscript x^{i j}

Type the symbol that will have the superscript.

Type x:

Create a superscript by pressing the Control key and the 6 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+6 or Ctrl+^:

To avoid multiplying the two superscripts, separate them with an invisible comma . To type the alias for an invisible comma, press the Escape key before and after typing a comma.

Type i, press Esc, type a comma, press Esc, and type j:

Get out of the superscript position down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing Superscript x^{2 3}

Type the symbol that will have the superscript.

Type x:

Create a superscript by pressing the Control key and the 6 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+6 or Ctrl+^:

To avoid multiplying the two superscripts, separate them with an invisible comma . To type the alias for an invisible comma, press the Escape key before and after typing a comma.

Type 2, press Esc, type a comma, press Esc, and type 3:

Get out of the superscript position down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing Superscript x^n_i

Type the symbol that will have the superscript.

Type x:

Create a superscript by pressing the Control key and the 6 key (or the ^ key) at the same time.

Press Ctrl+6 or Ctrl+^:

Type the superscript into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type n:

Create a subscript of a superscript by pressing the Control key and the _ key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+_:

Type i:

Press the Control key and the Space bar at the same time twice to get down to the baseline.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing Subscripts

Typing x_i

Type the symbol that will have the subscript.

Type x:

Create a subscript by pressing the Control key and the - key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+- or Ctrl+_:

Type the subscript into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type i:

Move the insertion point out of the subscript position up to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing x_{i j}

Type the symbol that will have the subscript.

Type x:

Create a subscript by pressing the Control key and the - key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+- or Ctrl+_:

Type the subscript into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type i:

Press the Space bar and then type j.

Press Space and type j:

*To avoid multiplying the two subscripts, separate them with an invisible comma . To type the alias for an invisible comma, press the Escape key before and after typing a comma.

Press Esc, type a comma, press Esc, and type j:

Move the insertion point out of the subscript position up to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing x_{2 3}

Type the symbol that will have the subscript.

Type x:

Create a subscript by pressing the Control key and the - key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+- or Ctrl+_:

Type the subscript into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type 2:

To avoid multiplying the two subscripts, separate them with an invisible comma . To type the alias for an invisible comma, press the Escape key before and after typing a comma.

Press Esc, type a comma, press Esc, and type 3:

Move the insertion point out of the subscript position up to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing x_{n_i}

The first three steps create and fill in the subscript and its subscript.

Type x, then press Ctrl+_:

Type n, then press Ctrl+_:

Type i:

Press the Control key and the Space bar at the same time twice to get up to the baseline.

Press Ctrl+Space twice:

Typing Overscripts

Typing

Type the expression that will have an overscript.

Type x:

Create an overscript by pressing the Control key and the 7 key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+7 or Ctrl+&:

Type an underscore into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type _:

Move the insertion point out of the overscript position down to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

Press the Control key and the 7 key at the same time.

This creates a pair of placeholders, one on the baseline and another in the overscript position.

Press Ctrl+7 or Ctrl+&:

Type an underscore into the placeholder in the overscript (which is already selected).

Type _:

Press the Tab key to select the placeholder that is on the baseline.

Press Tab:

Type the expression under the overscript.

Type x+y:

Press the Control key and the Space bar to get out of the overscripted expression.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing Underscripts

Typing

Type the expression that will have an underscript.

Type x:

Create an underscript by pressing the Control and Shift keys and the , key at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Shift+,:

Type an underscore into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type _:

Move the insertion point out of the underscript position up to the baseline by pressing the Control key and the Space bar at the same time.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

Press the Control and Shift keys and the , key at the same time.

This creates a pair of placeholders, one on the baseline and another in the underscript position.

Press Ctrl+Shift+,:

Type the expression into the placeholder (which is already selected).

Type x+y:

Press the Tab key to select the placeholder that is under the baseline.

Press Tab:

Type an underscore.

Type _:

Press the Control key and the Space bar at the same time to get out of the underscripted expression.

Press Ctrl+Space:

Typing

Type lim, and press Ctrl+Shift+,:

Type x:

Press Esc, type ->, and press Esc:

Type a, and press Ctrl+Space:

Type f[x]:

Top

Two-Dimensional Expression Input

Moving the Cursor by Typing

Getting out of an Expression

Selecting the Next Placeholder

Switching Positions

Selecting the Next-Higher Subexpression

Deleting to Destructure an Expression

Another Example

Typing

Typing

Typing

Typing

Another Way of Typing

Typing xm

Typing xm+yn

Typing xm+n

Typing

Typing

Typing

Typing

Another Way of Typing

Typing

Typing

Typing

Creating a New Matrix

Filling in Placeholders in a Matrix

Adding a New Column in a Matrix

Adding a New Row in a Matrix

Typing Superscript xi

Typing Superscript xi j

Typing Superscript x2 3

Typing Superscript xni

Typing xi

Typing xi j

Typing x2 3

Typing xni

Typing

Typing

Typing

Typing

Typing

Related Guides

Typing x^m

Typing x^m+yⁿ

Typing x^m+n

Typing Superscript xⁱ

Typing Superscript x^{i j}

Typing Superscript x^{2 3}

Typing Superscript x^n_i

Typing x_i

Typing x_{i j}

Typing x_{2 3}

Typing x_{n_i}