is an option for UnderoverscriptBox and related boxes that specifies whether to change the positioning of underscripts and overscripts in the way conventional for limits.


LimitsPositioning
is an option for UnderoverscriptBox and related boxes that specifies whether to change the positioning of underscripts and overscripts in the way conventional for limits.
Details

- UnderoverscriptBox[x,y,z,LimitsPositioning->False] is always displayed with explicit underscripts and overscripts as
.
- UnderoverscriptBox[x,y,z,LimitsPositioning->True] is displayed as
when large, and
when small.
- The
form is used when the box appears in a subscript or other script, or inline in a piece of text.
- With the default setting LimitsPositioning->Automatic, the display of UnderoverscriptBox[x,y,z] depends on x. If x is ∖[Sum], ∖[Product], or another form conventionally displayed with limits, then LimitsPositioning->True is effectively used. Otherwise, LimitsPositioning->False is used.
- LimitsPositioningTokens is a Cell option that can be set to a list of forms for which LimitsPositioning->True should be used.
Examples
Basic Examples (1)
Define a low-level structure that has small underoverscript elements:
With LimitsPositioning->True, the upper and lower scripts go to the right of the base:
With LimitsPositioning->False, the upper and lower scripts stay directly above and below:
With LimitsPositioning->Automatic, the side positions are used with base , not with x:
See Also
Related Guides
History
Introduced in 1996 (3.0)
Text
Wolfram Research (1996), LimitsPositioning, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LimitsPositioning.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1996. "LimitsPositioning." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LimitsPositioning.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1996). LimitsPositioning. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LimitsPositioning.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_limitspositioning, author="Wolfram Research", title="{LimitsPositioning}", year="1996", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LimitsPositioning.html}", note=[Accessed: 08-August-2025]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_limitspositioning, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={LimitsPositioning}, year={1996}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LimitsPositioning.html}, note=[Accessed: 08-August-2025]}