[texhax] parenthesis problem in LaTeX

Tom Schneider toms at ncifcrf.gov
Fri Jan 16 23:23:58 CET 2009


Reinhard:

> Tom Schneider writes:
>  > Here's a puzzle for the sharp folks on this list!
> 
> Hi Tom,
> the problem is obviously that unlike "silent", the word "ring"
> contains the letter "g" which has a descender, as Steve explained
> already.
> 
> How can you achieve that all braces have the same size?  There are
> many possible solutions.  You could use struts or phantoms.
> 
> However, there is a very elegant solution.  All *tex programs except
> Knuth's tex itself are using the eTeX extensions for a couple of years
> now.
> 
> $ pdftex \\relax\\bye
> This is pdfTeXk, Version 3.1415926-1.40.9 (Web2C 7.5.7)
>  %&-line parsing enabled.
> entering extended mode  <===========
> No pages of output.
> Transcript written on texput.log.
> 
> You are using \left and \right already, but eTeX provides a new
> primitive called \middle.  See:
> 
>   http://tug.ctan.org/tex-archive/systems/e-tex/v2/doc/etex_man.pdf
> 
> section 3.9 on page 12.

Ok, thanks.  I'm unsure how it would be used in this case.

\left( ..part A ring .. \right)
\middle??
\left( ..part B silent .. \right)

fails with '! Missing delimiter (. inserted).
<to be read again> 
                   ?
l.84 \middle?'

or

\begin{equation}
\left( ..part A ring .. \right)
\middle(silent right \middle)
\left( ..part B silent .. \right)
\end{equation}

gives 'extra middle('

\begin{equation}
\middle(
\left( ..part A ring .. \right)
\left( ..part B silent .. \right)
\middle)
\end{equation}

gives 'extra middle('

\middle(
\left( ..part A ring .. \right)
\left( ..part B silent .. \right)
\middle)

In the original context

\begin{equation}
H =
P_{\mbox{ring}}   \times \left( -\log_2 ( P_{\mbox{ring}})   \right)
+
P_{\mbox{rinc}}   \times \left( -\log_2 ( P_{\mbox{rinc}})   \right)
\end{equation}

doing this:

\begin{equation}
\middle(
H =
P_{\mbox{ring}}   \times \left( -\log_2 ( P_{\mbox{ring}})   \right)
+
P_{\mbox{rinc}}   \times \left( -\log_2 ( P_{\mbox{rinc}})   \right)
\middle)
\end{equation}

Also gives the error message 'extra middle('.

Even trying to follow their exact words,

\begin{equation}
\middle(
H =
P_{\mbox{ring}}   \times \left( -\log_2 ( P_{\mbox{ring}})   \right)
\middle)
+
\middle(
P_{\mbox{rinc}}   \times \left( -\log_2 ( P_{\mbox{rinc}})   \right)
\middle)
\end{equation}

gives the same error.

I have no idea how to use this thing.

Thanks,

Tom

  Dr. Thomas D. Schneider
  National Institutes of Health
  National Cancer Institute
  Center for Cancer Research Nanobiology Program
  Molecular Information Theory Group
  Frederick, Maryland  21702-1201
  toms at ncifcrf.gov
  permanent email: toms at alum.mit.edu
  http://www.ccrnp.ncifcrf.gov/~toms/


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