# How can I format a "vertical" vector with curly braces around it?

Beginners question. I am trying to get mathematica to format my Stirling number formulas using curly braces instead of (sorry for the images). This is just for display purposes so it does not have to be linked to StirlingS2. I have the same question for square brackets (for the stirling numbers of the first kind)

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– Kuba
May 7, 2017 at 20:07

Custom output-formatting is one way:

MakeBoxes[StirlingS2[n_, k_], StandardForm] :=
RowBox[{
"{",
GridBox[{{"n"}, {"k"}}, AutoDelete -> False,
GridBoxItemSize -> {"Columns" -> {{Automatic}}, "Rows" -> {{Automatic}}}],
"}"}]

StirlingS2[n, k]


The Notation package can work very well for this. I would suggest you read the documentation as it allows you to input your notation in a friendly and intuitive form, whose appearance does not survive cut and paste to this website. (Though it should work functionally)

Needs["Notation"]

Notation[ParsedBoxWrapper[
RowBox[{"{",
GridBox[{{"n_"}, {"k_"}}], "}"}]] \[DoubleLongLeftRightArrow]
ParsedBoxWrapper[
RowBox[{"StirlingS2", "[",
RowBox[{"n_", ",", "k_"}], "]"}]]]


If for display only, another option is using Matex. Here are two versions, one for curly and one for solid braces.

<< MaTeX
stirling1[n_,k_]:=MaTeX["{"<>ToString[n]<>"\\brace "<>ToString[k]<>"}",Magnification->2]
stirling2[n_,k_]:=MaTeX["{"<>ToString[n]<>"\\brack "<>ToString[k]<>"}",Magnification->2]


And now

stirling1[n,k]
stirling2[n,k]


 Grid[Table[
Row[{stirling1[n, k], stirling2[n, k]}], {n, 1, 5}, {k, 6, 10}], Frame -> All]


In:

Subscript[\[ScriptCapitalS], n] // Superscript[#, (\[ScriptK])] &
% // FullForm
{{n, k} // TableForm}
% // FullForm


Out: