# Re: Capital subscript are too large

• To: math-font-discuss@cogs.susx.ac.uk
• Subject: Re: Capital subscript are too large
• From: Michael Downes <MJD@MATH.AMS.ORG>
• Date: 20 Aug 1993 11:33:40 -0400 (EDT)

J"org wrote:

> We have an axial coupling constant, conventionally called $g_A$. However,
> in this combination the A' does not really look subscript. After some
> experimenting, I came up with the following: $g_{\text{\sc A}}$ which looks
> fine. That the A' is now upright is not that bad in this case, in fact it
> is not a mathematical symbol but has textual semantics.
>
> I think this little problem should have a more general solution. I imagine
> a style which prescribes different sizes for subscripts, depending if a
> lowercase letter is subscripted or a capital one. Since I have not tried
> it, I don't know how difficult to achieve this might be.

I would say, this is an important observation, but a general solution
would be very difficult because of the compromises involved.
If you make the capital letters smaller in subscripts, then what do
you do if the subscript contains a combination Aa'? Now the decreased
A' maybe looks too small next to the small a'. In general this would
apply to all combinations of capital letter + something else in a
subscript. Also, consider what happens with letters like C or Z where
the lowercase form and the uppercase form are similar: how do you
distinguish if a subscript C or Z is lowercase or uppercase, after the
`