7

I don't like very much the superscripts, subscripts and comma position in equation (1).

In equation (2) I've made the superscripts and subscripts smaller but still I don't think it is completely good.

Any idea to improve this equation?

enter image description here

\documentclass[11pt,openright]{book}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[latin9]{inputenc}
\pagenumbering{gobble}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\usepackage{relsize,amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}

\begin{document}

\begin{equation}
\mathrm{MRC}^{t}=\max\left\{\mathrm{VaR}_{0.99}^{t-1,10}, \, \frac{k}{60}\sum_{i=1}^{60}\mathrm{VaR}_{0.99}^{t-i,10}\right\}
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}
\mathrm{MRC}^{t}=\max\left\{\mathrm{VaR}_{\mathsmaller{0.99}}^{\mathstrut  \mathsmaller{t-1,10}}, \, \frac{k}{60}\sum_{i=1}^{60}\mathrm{VaR}_{\mathsmaller{0.99}}^{\mathstrut \mathsmaller{t-i,10}}\right\}
\end{equation}

where MRC is the Market Risk Capital required at time $t$ and $\text{VaR}_{\alpha}^{j,h}$ is the day $j$'s Value at Risk calculated
with a holding period of $h$ trading days and an $\alpha$ confidence level

\end{document}
CarLaTeX
  • 62,716

3 Answers3

4

Some visual adjustments with \, in suitable places, to make more room and help parsing the formulas.

\documentclass[11pt,openright]{book}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[latin9]{inputenc}
\pagenumbering{gobble}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\usepackage{relsize,amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}

\begin{document}

\begin{equation}
\mathrm{MRC}^{t}=
  \max\biggl\{
    \mathrm{VaR\,}_{\mathstrut 0.99}^{\mathstrut t-1,10}\, , \;
    \frac{k}{60}\sum_{i=1}^{60}\mathrm{VaR\,}_{\mathstrut 0.99}^{\mathstrut t-i,10}
  \biggr\}
\end{equation}
where MRC is the Market Risk Capital required at time $t$ and 
$\mathrm{VaR}_{\alpha}^{j,h}$ is the day $j$'s Value at Risk calculated
with a holding period of $h$ trading days and an $\alpha$ confidence level

\end{document}

As you see, the adjustments are not necessary in the inline version, where just symbols are used.

I added a thin space before the comma and a thick space after it, besides \mathstrut in the subscripts and superscripts. I also used \biggl and \biggr instead of \left and \right, in order to make the braces less prominent.

enter image description here

egreg
  • 1,121,712
3

I would not mess with their sizes, but (if doing anything) insert more space between subscript and superscript. Also, make sure you don't have an empty line after displayed equations to avoid undesirable indentation.

\documentclass[11pt,openright]{book}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[latin9]{inputenc}
\pagenumbering{gobble}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\usepackage{relsize,amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\DeclareMathOperator{\VaR}{VaR}
\begin{document}

\begin{equation}
\mathrm{MRC}^{t}=\max\left\{\mathrm{VaR}_{0.99}^{t-1,10}, \, \frac{k}{60}\sum_{i=1}^{60}\mathrm{VaR}_{0.99}^{t-i,10}\right\}
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}
\mathrm{MRC}^{t}=\max\left\{\VaR_{\vphantom{(}0.99}^{\mathstrut  \vphantom{(}t-1,10}, \, \frac{k}{60}\sum_{i=1}^{60}\VaR_{\vphantom{(}0.99}^{\mathstrut \vphantom{(}t-i,10}\right\}
\end{equation}
%
where MRC is the Market Risk Capital required at time $t$ and $\text{VaR}_{\alpha}^{j,h}$ is the day $j$'s Value at Risk calculated
with a holding period of $h$ trading days and an $\alpha$ confidence level

\end{document}.

enter image description here

JPi
  • 13,595
  • 1
    Why \mathstrut \vphantom{(}? \mathstrut is already defined as \vphantom{(}. Also, VaR is an acronym, not a math operator; better write \newcommand\VaR{\mathrm{VaR}}. – Mico Aug 09 '16 at 17:23
  • The \mathstrut was in the original code, albeit combined with \mathsmaller. I did not know that \mathstrut was identical to \vphantom{(}. Thanks for pointing that out. – JPi Aug 09 '16 at 17:26
1

I think I have an idea what you might be after. Was it this you were hoping for?

enter image description here

You see I can do that (obviously), but the only way I know how is, at best, inelegant:

\documentclass[11pt,openright]{book}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[latin9]{inputenc}
\pagenumbering{gobble}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\usepackage{relsize,amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}

\begin{document}

\begin{equation}
  \newlength{\VaRlength}
  \settowidth{\VaRlength}{$\mathrm{VaR}_{0.99}^{t-1,10}$}
  \mathrm{MRC}^{t} =
  \max\left\{\makebox[\VaRlength][l]{$\mathrm{VaR}_{0.99}^{\mathrlap{%
          t-1,10}},$} \,
    \frac{k}{60}\sum_{i = 1}^{60}\mathrm{VaR}_{0.99}^{t-i,10}\right\}
\end{equation}
where MRC is the Market Risk Capital required at time $t$ and
$\text{VaR}_{\alpha}^{j,h}$ is the day $j$'s Value at Risk calculated
with a holding period of $h$ trading days and an $\alpha$ confidence
level

\end{document}

Still, for what it's worth...

Au101
  • 10,278