# Baseline alignment for mtpro2 PARENS

I am using mtpro2 lite and I have the following issue when using the PARENS command, here is the minimal example

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage{amsmath, amsfonts, amsthm, amssymb,fancyhdr,graphicx}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[spanish,es-nolayout]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
\usepackage[paper=a4paper,
verbose=true,
,nomarginpar,
]{geometry}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\usepackage{times}
\usepackage[scaled=0.92]{helvet}
\usepackage[lite]{mtpro2}
\usepackage{fix-cm,multicol}
\usepackage{enumerate}

\newtheoremstyle{Solus}%
{\topsep}
{\topsep}
{\sffamily}
{0pt}
{\bfseries}{:}
{ }
{}%
\theoremstyle{Solus}
\newtheorem*{solu}{Solución}

\begin{document}
\begin{solu}
Primero debemos encontrar el dominio de $Y$, en este caso
\begin{align*}
Y=\ln\PARENS{{a^{|K|}}} \text{ PARENS}\\
=\ln\left(a^{|K|}\right) \text{ left(  right)}\\
=\ln\LEFTRIGHT(){a^{|K|}} \text{ LEFTRIGHT()}
\end{align*}
\end{solu}

\end{document}


the result is the following

I rather like the second option since the argument of \ln is align with the baseline. Is there a way to ensure this behavior with PARENS and LEFTRIGHT?

\PARENS is the same as \LEFTRIGHT(). They should only be used for objects that are to be set centered with respect to the formula axis: matrices, systems of equations, subalignments.

You have to use the standard commands for your case. Here are the various possibilities

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[spanish,es-nolayout]{babel}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\usepackage{times}
\usepackage[lite]{mtpro2}

\begin{document}

Primero debemos encontrar el dominio de $Y$, en este caso
\begin{align*}
Y&=\ln(a^{|K|})            && \text{nothing}\\
&=\ln\bigl(a^{|K|}\bigr)  && \text{bigl and bigr}\\
&=\ln\Bigl(a^{|K|}\Bigr)  && \text{Bigl and Bigr}\\
&=\ln\left(a^{|K|}\right) && \text{left and right}\\
\end{align*}

\end{document}


I'd have no doubt in choosing the first instance, but I wouldn't throw stones to anybody using the second way. The third and fourth (that look identical and indeed are in this case) are out of the question: the parentheses are too large.

Of course I'd choose the first if I was compelled to use parentheses. Personally I'd simply write

\ln a^{|K|}


(actually I'd use \log, but this is another matter) and rely for the interpretation on the standard precedence rules, where exponentiation takes precedence over the logarithm. However I understand that sometimes more clarity is needed.

Don't forget \usepackage[T1]{fontenc}, by the way, though it's not related to the problem.