# preventing TraditionalForm from getting “squished”

TraditionalForm[] does a great job generally speaking, with complex equations like the following,

TraditionalForm[
Defer[
1/Pi =
2*Sum[((-1)^k*(6*k)!*(13591409 + 545140134*k))/((3*k)!*k!^3*640320^(3*k + 3/2)), {k, 0, 44}]
]
]


(which is to say…)

However, if I put this same equation in a Grid[] or Table[] or Column[], it gets "squished," as in the following

How can I prevent this from happening? I particularly want to prevent it from swinging the upper bound of the summation to the right of the sigma.

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In LaTeX, these are called display style and inline style. I don't know (couldn't find) how to control it in Mathematica, but I thought it might be helpful to mention these terms. – Szabolcs Jan 20 '14 at 19:47

Style[Grid[{{TraditionalForm[
Defer[1/Pi =
2*Sum[((-1)^k*(6*k)!*(13591409 + 545140134*k))/((3*k)!*
k!^3*640320^(3*k + 3/2)), {k, 0, 44}]]]}}],
UnderoverscriptBoxOptions -> {LimitsPositioning -> False}]


gives :

EDIT

Rojo's solution (see comments) is better because it doesn't reduce the sigma :

Grid[{{ TraditionalForm[Defer[1/Pi =
2*Sum[((-1)^k*(6*k)!*(13591409 + 545140134*k))/((3*k)!*
k!^3*640320^(3*k + 3/2)), {k, 0, 44}]]] }},
AllowScriptLevelChange -> False]


-
Almost there (+1), but the size of the $\sum$ is still reduced. – Szabolcs Jan 20 '14 at 19:54
@Szabolcs you'd prefer GridBoxOptions -> {AllowScriptLevelChange -> False} instead? – Rojo Jan 20 '14 at 20:15
I edited your answer a bit to simplify how the option is given, please verify! – Szabolcs Jan 20 '14 at 20:35
@Szabolcs Verified : OK, it works (!) – andre Jan 20 '14 at 20:39

The key option here is LimitsPositioning.

This is an option of UnderoverscriptBox and related boxes which determines how under and overscripts of "∑", "∏", "⋂", "⋃", "⊎", "⋀", "⋁", "lim", "max", "min", "⊕", "⊖", "⊗", "⊙" behave when displayed in a display formula or an inlined equation.

You can set them in Mathematica typesetting (box) language, but it can also be set in the Option Inspector (Shift+Ctrl+O). You need to set LimitsPositioning -> False in

Formatting Options > Expression Formatting > Specific Box Options > UnderoverscriptBoxOptions.


You can do that either for the selected notebook or as a (semi) permanent Frontend setting.

Programmatically, this can be realized as follows:

SetOptions[$FrontEndSession, UnderoverscriptBoxOptions -> {LimitsPositioning -> False}]  (global setting, for the duration of your session) SetOptions[$FrontEnd, UnderoverscriptBoxOptions -> {LimitsPositioning -> False}]


(global, permanent setting)

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What I'm struggling to understand is why we seem to need a Grid around the expression for it to react to "LimitsPositioning". Without the Grid I can't get it to react to "True". Any ideas? – Rojo Jan 20 '14 at 20:00
There must be more to it than LimitsPositioning. The size of the operator ($\sum$) is also reduced. It behaves the same way as LaTeX, and we're looking for the equivalent of \displaystyle ... – Szabolcs Jan 20 '14 at 20:02
@rojo The inline style is only applied in cramped spaces, so if you're not in such a condition the setting of the option doesn't make a difference. – Sjoerd C. de Vries Jan 20 '14 at 20:11
@Szabolcs Isn't that the AllowScriptLevelChange option that's controlling that? It's in GridBoxOptions and other box option settings. – Sjoerd C. de Vries Jan 20 '14 at 20:18
@SjoerdC.deVries Yes, that's it, thank you! (Also to Rojo.) If you give that option to Grid, it's not even necessary to use LimitsPositioning -> False any more. – Szabolcs Jan 20 '14 at 20:30

Not sure if I am really getting at the question here, but:

expr = Defer[
1/Pi = 2*Sum[((-1)^k*(6*k)!*(13591409 + 545140134*k))/((3*k)!*
k!^3*640320^(3*k + 3/2)), {k, 0, 44}]]


Something funny going on with $\frac{1}{\pi}$... – R. M. Jan 20 '14 at 20:30
Grid[{{1/P}}] // TraditionalForm something with FractionBox I suspect – chuy Jan 20 '14 at 20:38