Documentation
Publicon
User Guide
Advanced Features
Editing and Formatting Notebooks
Entering Mathematical Formulas
Entering Mathematical Formulas
Subscripts, Superscripts, and Other Modifiers
In addition to subscripts and superscripts, you can also add modifiers such as overscripts, underscripts, bars, and other special characters. To do this, open the 
subpalette of the Typesetting palette or choose Window 
Formulas Standard Math.
You can select any of the buttons in this palette to input the corresponding modifier.
To input a letter with an overscript, such as
:
1. Place your cursor at the point in the notebook where the letter is to be inserted.
2. Click the button with the overscript form in the top row of the palette. This places the symbol 
in your notebook.
3. Type x in the position of the highlighted placeholder.
4. Press 
to move to the position of the next placeholder. The overscript placeholder is now highlighted.
5. Type ~ to enter it in the overscript position. The overscript form 
is now entered in your notebook.
6. Press 
to move the cursor out of the overscript position.
A similar procedure can be used for all the other buttons in this palette to enter any of the corresponding modifiers.
Another way to add modifiers is by using the special meaning assigned to control characters.
Keyboard shortcuts for subscripts, superscripts, underscripts, and overscripts.
Examples of modifiers added using keyboard shortcuts.
Another way to enter two-dimensional input is by using the menu commands listed under the Edit Math submenu. These commands allow you to insert subscripts, superscripts, fractions, radicals, underscripts, and overscripts.
To enter the two-dimensional expression
+
:
1 Type x, select it, and then choose Edit Math Above. A blank placeholder appears above the x.
2. Type _ to insert it in the overscript position.
3. Choose Edit Math End Subexpression () to move the cursor out of the overscript position.
4. Type + and choose Edit Math Fraction. This inserts a fraction template into the notebook with placeholders in the numerator and denominator positions.
5. Type y. Choose Edit Math Subscript and type 1 in the placeholder.
6. Press to move to the denominator.
7. Choose Edit Math Radical. A square root symbol appears with a placeholder inside it.
8. Type 1 + a.
9. Choose Edit Math Superscript. Type 2 in the placeholder that appears in the superscript position.
10. Choose Edit Math End Subexpression () or press the right arrow key to move the cursor out of the superscript placeholder.
11. Choose Edit Math End Subexpression () or press the right arrow key to move the cursor out of the square root placeholder.
12. Choose Edit Math End Subexpression () or press the right arrow key to move the cursor out of the expression.
