# Cambria Math \bigg command doesn't work as expected

I get wrong sizes when I use \bigg and family with Cambria. Here is an example (I loaded mathtools before unicode-math and then my actual problem showed up). We can see that the size \bigg exists because it works well without mathtools, and also if I use \left/\right construction:

%!TEX TS-program = xelatex
\documentclass{scrartcl}

\usepackage{mathtools}
\usepackage{unicode-math}
\setmathfont{Cambria Math}

\begin{document}
$\Biggl( \biggl( \Bigl( \bigl( ( a ) \bigr) \Bigr) \biggr) \Biggr)$
$\Biggl( \left( \Bigl( \bigl( ( a ) \bigr) \Bigr)^2 \right) \Biggr)$
\end{document}


• Did you try loading amsmath before unicode-math? Nov 22 '13 at 18:34
• Thanks @egreg, now that's the real problem in my document ;) I tried to make a minimal example, but it didn't work even if mathtools wasn't loaded so I posted it anyways. Nov 22 '13 at 20:06
• This seems related: tex.stackexchange.com/questions/61023/… Nov 22 '13 at 20:20
• @egreg Far above my limits. I just pasted it AFTER unicode-math and uploaded the result to the question. As you said: related, but I don't know. Nov 22 '13 at 20:48
• The magnification factor (1.2 in the version for the linked question, 1 as default) should be fine tuned for the font used. Acting on \delimitershortfall and \delimiterfactor might also help. Nov 22 '13 at 20:57

For explanation run texdoc mathmode and read "8.3 Problems with parentheses"

\documentclass{scrartcl}

\usepackage{mathtools}
\usepackage{unicode-math}
\setmathfont{Cambria Math}
\delimitershortfall=-1pt%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\begin{document}
$\Biggl( \biggl( \Bigl( \bigl( ( a ) \bigr) \Bigr) \biggr) \Biggr)$
$\Biggl( \left( \Bigl( \bigl( ( a ) \bigr) \Bigr)^2 \right) \Biggr)$
\end{document}


• Can you show also the effect on matrices and the like? I would, but I don't have Cambria Math. Nov 22 '13 at 20:57
• Still not sure. With this, it's like TeX is not using the original \bigg and \Big glyphs, but another ones (may be a re-scaled ones?). By the way, how many sizes/glyphs of delimiters exist? I always thought there were four (big, Big, etc.) and then started the expandable. But with this example it's obvious you can get bigger sizes without relying in the expandables. Nov 23 '13 at 12:15
• @Manuel: The number of sizes available is font dependent, and Cambria has many sizes than most of other math fonts. Also \big and co macros are tuned for Computer Modern fonts, so they might not work for all other fonts (and there nothing special about these macros, they just define an empty box of certain height to force the delimiter to grow, and that why they might not work the same for all fonts). Nov 23 '13 at 12:44
• @KhaledHosny Great explanation. So this “partially” solves the problem, but then what I really want is to obtain all the possible sizes. I accept this answer and will open a new question. Nov 23 '13 at 13:16