How can I make a diagonal division symbol?

Question

So I want to make the four elementary arithmetic symbols in math-mode, but I don't like the way the divison-symbol looks. I want it to look like you rotated the subtraction-symbol 45 degrees, and I find / looking too long.

I'd like it to look like the one on the bottom here. One way of doing it was by using \usepackage{graphicx} and inserting \rotatebox{45}{$\_\!\_\!\_$}, but this isn't very convenient and I was hoping there may be a better way of making this.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Detexify doesn't give any usable suggestions.

My best result was \newcommand{\division}{\mkern-\medmuskip\rotatebox[origin=c]{45}{\scalebox{0.9}{$-$}}\mkern-\medmuskip}

It gives you the same rounded corners as the default division line has.

edit: notice that this division in my opinion looks horrible for capital variables.

Answer 2

If the reason for your inconvenience is the lenght or complicatedness of creating that symbol, I kindly remember you of the possibility to define your own command using \newcommand, essentially reducing the work needed to create that symbol to a few keystrokes. Also, if you'd decide to use 50 degrees later on, you only have to adjust one piece of code instead of the whole document.

Answer 3

This answer splits the difference between the traditional and proposed approaches. It introduces \vfrac{}{} (vary-frac) which will stretch the top of the fraction to the top of the higher of the two components, but never higher than the top of a capital "X".

For x/y fractions, it gives what the OP seeks, I think. But if one of the arguments is tall, it stretches the result accordingly. It is made to work across all math styles.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{scalerel}
\newcommand\vfrac[2]{\ThisStyle{%
  \setbox0=\hbox{$\SavedStyle#1#2$}%
  \setbox2=\hbox{$\SavedStyle X$}%
  \ifdim\ht0>\ht2\setlength{\ht0}{\ht2}\fi%
  #1\mathord{\stretchto{\raisebox{2.3\LMpt}{$\SavedStyle/$}}{\ht0}}#2}}
\begin{document}
$\vfrac{x}{y} \quad \vfrac{X}{Y}\quad \vfrac{X^2}{y}\quad \vfrac{p}{q}$\par
$\scriptstyle\vfrac{x}{y} \quad \vfrac{X}{Y}\quad \vfrac{X^2}{y}\quad \vfrac{p}{q}$\par
$\scriptscriptstyle\vfrac{x}{y} \quad \vfrac{X}{Y}\quad \vfrac{X^2}{y}\quad \vfrac{p}{q}$\par
\end{document}

---

FOLLOW UP:

The OP asked for a similar approach but with a 45 degree stroke. Here is such a variation on my approach (though the angle may not be exactly 45 deg). A downside is that since the slash is scaled (rather than extended), its thickness changes with size.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{scalerel}
\newcommand\vfrac[2]{\ThisStyle{%
  \setbox0=\hbox{$\SavedStyle#1#2$}%
  \setbox2=\hbox{$\SavedStyle X$}%
  \ifdim\ht0>\ht2\setlength{\ht0}{\ht2}\fi%
  #1\mathord{\scaleto{\raisebox{.7pt}{\vstretch{.3}{\SavedStyle/}}}{\ht0}}#2}}
\begin{document}
$\vfrac{x}{y} \quad \vfrac{X}{Y}\quad \vfrac{X^2}{y}\quad \vfrac{p}{q}$\par
$\scriptstyle\vfrac{x}{y} \quad \vfrac{X}{Y}\quad \vfrac{X^2}{y}\quad \vfrac{p}{q}$\par
$\scriptscriptstyle\vfrac{x}{y} \quad \vfrac{X}{Y}\quad \vfrac{X^2}{y}\quad \vfrac{p}{q}$\par
\end{document}

Answer 4

In the Computer Modern fonts, the plus and minus signs have the same lengths of the lines as well as the \times symbol, the latter could be considered as rotated plus sign. The division symbol would fit in as rotated minus sign, vertically centered at the math axis and horizontally centered in the width of the \times symbol.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}% for environment "gather*"
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\makeatletter
\newcommand*{\vardivision}{%
  \mathbin{\mathpalette\@vardivision{}}%
}
\newcommand*{\@vardivision}[2]{%
  % #1: math style
  % #2: unused
  \sbox0{$\vcenter{}$}% \ht0: math axis
  \dimen@=\ht0 %
  \sbox0{$#1\times\m@th$}% \wd0: width of the new symbol
  \raise\dimen@\hbox to \wd0{%
    \hfil
    \setbox0=\hbox to \z@{\hss\lower\dimen@\hbox{$#1-\m@th$}\hss}%
    \ht0=\z@
    \dp0=\z@
    \rotatebox{45}{\box0}%
    \hfil
  }%
  \vphantom{\times}%
}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\begin{gather*}
  1 + 2 \times 3 \vardivision 4
\\
  a + b \times c \vardivision d
\\
  {+} {-} {\times} {\vardivision}
\\
  \scriptstyle {+} {-} {\times} {\vardivision}
\\
  \scriptscriptstyle {+} {-} {\times} {\vardivision}
\\
  \sbox0{${+}{-}{\times}{\vardivision}$}
  \rlap{\copy0}%
  \vcenter{%
    \hbox{%
      \textcolor{red}{%
        \vrule width\wd0 height .05pt depth .05pt\relax
      }%
    }%
  }
\\
  \color{red}
  \setlength{\fboxsep}{0pt}
  \setlength{\fboxrule}{.1pt}
  \def\test#1{\fbox{\textcolor{black}{$#1$}}}
  \vcenter{%
    \hbox{$\test{+} \test{-} \test{\times} \test{\vardivision}$}%
    \nointerlineskip
    \hbox{$\test{-} \test{+} \test{\vardivision} \test{\times}$}%
  }
\end{gather*}
\end{document}

Answer 5

You can reflect \smallsetminus (from amssymb):

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amssymb,graphicx}

\makeatletter
\DeclareRobustCommand{\vardivision}{%
  \mathbin{\mathpalette\@vardivision\relax}% 
}
\newcommand{\@vardivision}[2]{%
  \reflectbox{$\m@th\smallsetminus$}%
}
\makeatother

\begin{document}

$a+b\vardivision c$

$a\vardivision b\times c$

\end{document}