# How can I prevent Superscript from being interpreted as Power?

I have very strong desire to use superscript as the index of the variable.

However, it looks like that the Mathematica automatically recognize the superscript as the power and I got message that my variable with superscript is 'protected'.

Could you help me to make the superscript used as the index of the variable instead of power?

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I'm not sure if it's possible to do, although somebody else might have an answer. I've had this problem before, and just use subscripts instead. For example: $$v_{k\_,j\_}:=\mbox{Sin}[k^2+j^3];$$ Is there a reason why subscripts are not as good for your application? –  DumpsterDoofus Oct 8 '13 at 18:38

Superscript is not interpreted as Power:

Presumably you are referring to what happens when you enter a power in superscript notation using the key combination Ctrl+6. Mathematica is capable of representing both this power notation and a formatted plain Superscript. In my opinion it is a failing that the power notation appears in the Typesetting menu while the latter is missing; if anything it should be the other way around I think. Since there is no key combination for raw Superscript I propose using a palette or input alias:

## Palette

You may enter a formatting template using a palette button which may be created with:

CreatePalette @ PasteButton @ Superscript[\[SelectionPlaceholder], \[Placeholder]]


Click that palette button to insert a template for plain superscript in the current Notebook. Use Tab to move between fields.

## Input alias

Either open the Option Inspector, select Global Preferences, type "InputAliases" to find the appropriate entry, and add this to the list of rules:

"sps" -> TemplateBox[{"\[SelectionPlaceholder]", "\[Placeholder]"}, "Superscript"]


Or add it programmatically (run this only once):

AppendTo[
CurrentValue[$FrontEnd, "InputAliases"], "sps" -> TemplateBox[{"\[SelectionPlaceholder]", "\[Placeholder]"}, "Superscript"] ]  Now type: EscspsEsc to enter a template for plain Superscript. (In version 10.0.0 the first field will not be automatically selected due to a bug; see Input Aliases in Mathematica 10.) - If you want to use superscripts so as to follow some textbook symbols then use Symbolize Needs["Notation"]  I'm going to paste an image because pasting Symbolize gives you this: Symbolize[ParsedBoxWrapper[SuperscriptBox["y", "1"]]]  - For internal representation, I prefer avoiding subscripts and superscripts, so I'll give a way for using superscripts for input and output formatting, while the internal expression is of the form x[i]. For output formatting, something like this: Format[x[i_]] := Superscript[x, i]  Example Table[x[i], {i, 3}]  For input, this works, but I would wonder whether it is safe: Power[x, i_] ^:= x[i]; Unprotect[Power]; Power /: Set[Power[x, i_], val_] := x[i] = val; Protect[Power]; x^i // InputForm (* x[i] *)  It also works with keyboard input of superscripts. (x^1 + x^2)^3 // Expand  - When I asked people about this before, they wrote up: Displaying index as subscript on output: e.g. C[i] -> C_i with Notation[...] or Interpretation[..]? As with the other answers, this focuses on only output. But uses an Interpretation instead of just changing the functions themselves. You should just be able to copy/paste the code to try it out. To change from subscripts to superscripts for your code, it should just be a copy/replace. As for why you shouldn't use subscripts/superscripts, it took me a while to figure it out, but basically it is because$x_i$is not a symbol. Try to call FullForm on$x_i\$ to get Subscript[x,i]` which is tough to work with.

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