New Large Math Symbol

Question

I want to use symbols from the phaistos package as "numbers"

This means that I want to type something like:

\documentclass{amsart}

\usepackage{phaistos}

\newcommand{\lo}{\text{\PHbee}}
\newcommand{\loo}{\text{\PHboomerang}}

\begin{document}
\[
\lo + \loo
\]
\end{document}

and have it come out looking semi-decent. Since the symbols in this package are large text symbols, they do no go below the bottom line that text is sitting on. To make the math look correct, they would need to go below the line. I think if I made them large math symbols, this would center them the way I want.

Thoughts on a good way to do this?

Answer 1

This way does automatic centering...

\newcommand*{\lo}{\vcenter{\hbox{\PHbee}}}
\newcommand*{\loo}{\vcenter{\hbox{\PHboomerang}}}

Answer 2

You could use the command \raisebox with negative height to lower your symbols:

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{phaistos}
\newcommand*{\lo}{\raisebox{-.6ex}{\PHbee}}
\newcommand*{\loo}{\raisebox{-1ex}{\PHboomerang}}
\begin{document}
\[
\lo + \loo = ?
\]
\end{document}

Output:

Alternatively, you could use an array or a tabular environment to achieve vertical centering:

\newcommand*{\lo}{\begin{tabular}{@{}c@{}}\PHbee\end{tabular}}
\newcommand*{\loo}{\begin{tabular}{@{}c@{}}\PHboomerang\end{tabular}}

Here I used tabular because those symbols require text mode, otherwise I would prefer array. The @{} suppress the tabular resp. array intercolumn space, that's why the I used the @{}c@{} column options.

Answer 3

Perhaps you can take the + and = signs from the cow font. They are part of ConTeXt minimals(but not TL, as far as I could tell).

Answer 4

I don't know the phaistos package, but maybe defining the following can help

\newcommand*{\PHsymb}[1]{\vcenter{\hbox{%
  \ifcase#1\relax\PHbee\or\PHboomerang\or...\fi}}}

where you replace ... by the relevant \PH... symbols. Then you can use \PHsymb{0} for \PHbee, etc. No need to remember what is what.