9

The line

\[ \textcolor{green}{\sum}_{k=0}^n \]

makes the k=0 and n parts go to the right of Sigma instead of at the top and bottom, as it should be. Can we retain k=0 and n at the top and bottom?

Mico
  • 506,678
Mika H.
  • 3,451

4 Answers4

14

The \textcolor macro will undo the operator status of \sum so that both subscript and superscript are placed like they would at an ordinary symbol.

The macro \mathop makes the whole sequence (the green sum symbol) an operator again.

When you often use colored operator symbols, define a new macro, say

\newcommand*{\opcolor}[2]{\mathop{\textcolor{#1}{#2}}}

and use it as \opcolor{green}{\sum}.

I have also defined a \csum macro based on \opcolor.

Code

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\newcommand*{\opcolor}[2]{\mathop{\textcolor{#1}{#2}}}
\newcommand*{\csum}[1]{\opcolor{#1}\sum}

\begin{document}
\[ \mathop{\textcolor{green}{\sum}}_{k=0}^n \]

\[ \csum{green}_{k=0}^n \]

\[ \opcolor{green}{\sum}_{k=0}^n \]
\end{document}

Output

enter image description here

Qrrbrbirlbel
  • 119,821
8

Declare the green symbol as an operator via \mathop. 

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\begin{document}
\[ \mathop{\textcolor{green}{\sum}}_{k=0}^n \]
\end{document}
Marco Daniel
  • 95,681
4

Color support in LaTeX is implemented by setting the color and resetting it after the end of the current group. \textcolor uses the curly braces as group. This has the side effect in math, that it also makes a subformula with horizontal spacing of a normal math atom.

The following example defines \mathcolor that uses \begingroup and \endgroup for the group without the side effect of a subformula in math.

If the integral is colored only, then the color reset inserts a special that prevents the proper working for the sub- and superscripts. \mathop helps for \sum, but will fail for \int, because TeX will no longer now, what's inside \mathop{...} if it sets the sub- and superscripts.

Therefore, the example uses green for the whole term including sub- and superscripts and sets black for the latter explicitly.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\colorlet{mygreen}{green!80!black}% a littler darker

\makeatletter
\newcommand*{\mathcolor}{}
% Catch an optional argument in #1
\def\mathcolor#1#{\math@color{#1}}%
\newcommand*{\math@color}[3]{%
  % #1: empty or optional argument including brackets
  % #2: mandatory color argument
  % #3: stuff to be colored
  \begingroup\color#1{#2}#3\endgroup
}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\[
  \mathcolor{mygreen}{
    \int_{\mathcolor{black}{k=0}}^{\mathcolor{black}{n}}
  }
  \mathcolor{red}{=}
  \mathcolor{mygreen}{
    \int\limits_{\mathcolor{black}{k=0}}^{\mathcolor{black}{n}}
  }
\]
\end{document}

Result

Heiko Oberdiek
  • 271,626
  • Two questions: Why do you define \mathcolor twice? In the second definition, what is the effect of the second #? I can't make sense of the comments in your code. – schtandard Mar 18 '18 at 13:32
  • 2
    @schtandard The first definition uses \newcommand that would throw an error message, if \mathcolor is already defined. \def does not do such checking. The # at the end of the parameter text catches right before a opening curly brace (the mandatory color argument here). Thus, #1 gets all up to the {. Examples: \color[HTML]{FF0000} with #1 as [HTML]; \color{mygreen} with empty #1. – Heiko Oberdiek Mar 18 '18 at 13:35
3

With a recent version of LaTeX (2022-06-01) you can use \mathcolor: you just need to activate color support.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{xcolor}

\begin{document}


[
\mathcolor{green!80!blue}{\sum}{k=1}^n a_k
]
\begin{center}
$\mathcolor{green!80!blue}{\sum}{k=1}^n a_k$
\end{center}


\end{document}

The example shows that the colored operator works in all math styles.

enter image description here

egreg
  • 1,121,712