# [texhax] $^1/_2$ fraction appearance - another way?

Wed Jul 11 18:47:44 CEST 2007

On Jul 11, 2007, at 11:40 AM, Bryan W. Lepore wrote:

> i like how $^1/_2$ appears - not sure how to describe this
> typesetting of
> a fraction - is there a better way - perhaps using $\frac{1}{2}$
> options?

That's what would be termed a typographer's, em or case'' fraction
(in hot metal typesetting it would've been a single sort pulled from
a composing case), also called a diagonal fraction --- the former and
last would probably be the best terms.

The other way would be termed a mathematician's or horizontal, or
vertical or en/nut (when it occupies an en space) fraction.

Further confusing the issue is the matter of built-up'' or
piece'' fractions which would have been built up of individual
pieces and could come in either form.

Donald Knuth discusses this in an article on composing a cook booklet
which was reprinted in _Digital Typography_ from:

http://www.tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb06-1/tb11knut.pdf

and even provides a (Plain) TeX macro for this.

Certain fonts will provide diagonal fractions, e.g.:

\documentclass{minimal}
\usepackage{mathptmx}
\usepackage{textcomp}

\begin{document}

\textonehalf

$\frac{1}{2}$

\end{document}

And there's a package called nicefrac'' which sort of does this
(the diagonal isn't angled enough to my mind in most fonts). This is
mentioned in the Comprehensive LaTeX Symbol list:

http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/symbols/comprehensive/symbols-
a4.pdf

William

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