How to create a bracket-ing √-Operator?

Question

In formulas involving square roots, I consider the overline rather irritating and would like to create an operator that turns \sqrt{x} into √[x], i.e. the argument is bracket-delimited instead of the usual overlining. How can this be achieved?

So far, I tried

\usepackage{letltxmacro}
\LetLtxMacro{\orgsqrt}{\sqrt}
\renewcommand{\sqrt}[2][]{\orgsqrt[#1]{}\left[#2\right]}

but the spacing is not very appealing:

Ideally, the end of the √-Symbol would directly connect to the ['s upper left corner.

Answer 1

If you let the \sqrt grow large it might be hard to avoid a horizontal notch at the top, but...

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\begin{document}

\[
\sqrt{\frac{1}{\sqrt{\frac{1}{\sqrt{x}}}}}
\]

\newcommand\bsqrt[2][]{%
\sqrt[{#1}]{\vphantom{\left[#2\right]}}\left[#2\right]%
}


\[
\bsqrt{\frac{1}{\bsqrt{\frac{1}{\bsqrt{x}}}}}
\]

\newcommand\bbsqrt[2][]{%
\sqrt[{#1}]{\vphantom{\left[\vcenter{\hbox{$#2$}}\right]}}%
\left[\vcenter{\hbox{$#2$}}\right]%
}


\[
\bbsqrt{\frac{1}{\bbsqrt{\frac{1}{\bbsqrt{x}}}}}
\]

\end{document}

Answer 2

See EDIT at end of answer for support of sqrt index in \displaystyle.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{scalerel}
\def\sqrt#1{\stretchrel{\surd}{\left[#1\right]}}

\begin{document}
\[
\sqrt{x} \quad \sqrt{\frac{x}{y}} \quad
\sqrt{\frac{1}{\sqrt{\frac{1}{\sqrt{x}}}}}
\]
\end{document}

The macro \stretchrel takes an optional integer argument indicating the maximum percent stretch allowed. Any stretch beyond that value results in an increasing width, as well. Thus defining \sqrt as

\def\sqrt#1{\stretchrel[200]{\surd}{\left[#1\right]}}

would result in the following depiction, in which the most stretched \surd is also widened:

If the gap between the surd and the bracket is considered too large, a negative space could be added:

\def\sqrt#1{\stretchrel{\surd}{\!\left[#1\right]}}

yielding

---

EDIT to support index on sqrt (but only in displaystyle). The earlier solutions support math styles, as shown in the first two examples of this MWE. Here, I introduce \dsqrt in the third example below, which supports indices on the sqrt; however it only functions in \displaystyle.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{scalerel,stackengine}
\stackMath
\def\sqrt#1{\stretchrel{\surd}{\left[#1\right]}}
%%% THE FOLLOWING DISABLES MATH-MODE PRESERVATION OF scalerel, WHICH MAKES
%%% NESTED scalerel MACROS MUCH MORE EFFICIENT BY ELIMINATING NESTED \mathchoice
\makeatletter
\def\turnoffsavemode{%
  \edef\m@switch{T}\LMex=1ex\relax\LMpt=1pt\relax%
  \renewcommand\ThisStyle[1]{\ifmmode\def\@mmode{T}##1\else\def\@mmode{F}##1\fi}%
}
\makeatother
%%%
% \dsqrt only works in displaystyle, but supports sqrt index
\newcommand\dsqrt[2][]{\stackinset{l}{1.8pt}{c}{2.5pt}{\scriptscriptstyle#1}%
  {\turnoffsavemode\stretchrel{\surd}{\left[#2\right]}}}

\begin{document}
\[
\sqrt{x} \quad \sqrt{\frac{x}{y}} \quad
\sqrt{\frac{1}{\sqrt{\frac{1}{\sqrt{x}}}}}
\]
\[\scriptstyle
\sqrt{x} \quad \sqrt{\frac{x}{y}} \quad
\sqrt{\frac{1}{\sqrt{\frac{1}{\sqrt{x}}}}}
\]
\[
\dsqrt[3]{x} \quad \dsqrt[3]{\frac{x}{y}} \quad
\dsqrt[3]{\frac{1}{\dsqrt[3]{\frac{1}{\dsqrt[3]{x}}}}}
\]
\end{document}