# [texhax] What is better?

Phil Parker phil at math.wichita.edu
Wed Jul 25 13:59:08 CEST 2007

On 07/25/2007 at 08:32 AM, "Victor Ivrii" <vivrii at gmail.com> wrote: >I often
use ${\bar x}$ and ${\bar \xi}$; however if these symbols are near >the bars
which are on the different heights do not look
>aesthetically right. I can use   ${\bar {\matstrut x}}$ and ${\bar >{\matstrut\xi}}$ but then bars are too high.

>Surely, the same story with \hat, \tilde etc and with any letters of the
>different height. What is considered to be more aesthetically appealing (or,
>at least, less appalling)?

I think only the first variant looks "right." If you have an x\xi and want
bars, hats, etc. on both, you may want to see if bar, hat, etc., commutes with
multiplication. If so, then something like \widebar{\xi} might be what you
really want.

Disclaimer: I've used \widetilde and \widehat, so I assume such variants are
available in some package(s) for \bar, etc.

--
Phil Parker
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