If I write something like
$\bigwedge^k$
inline, I get the desired effect -- the k is typeset up and to the right like an exponent, rather than immediately above the wedge. If I'm in a displayed equation, though,
$$\bigwedge^k$$
typesets the k immediately above the wedge, which is not what I want. If I had the reverse problem I could fix it using \limits. How do I do the opposite?
To answer my own question, the opposite of \limits is \nolimits!
(I just found the answer here, as part of an explanation on a totally different question.)
This should solve your problem
\[\,\mathord{\bigwedge}^k\,\]
To understand this answer, check out page 154 (math classes) of The TeXbook by Don Knuth.
Feel free to ignore this, since \nolimits does not require one to manually fix spacing.
In addition: Why is [ … ] preferable to $$ … $$?
$$for displaymath. – Dror Nov 11 '13 at 10:44