Subscripts and superscripts on accented math characters [duplicate]

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}

${x_i}^j$ works as expected but not with an hat as in ${\hat{x}_i}^j$.
The way I found to make it work is $\mbox{$\hat{x}_i$}^j$.  Is there
an nicer solution?

\end{document}

marked as duplicate by Peter Grill, Community♦Dec 17 '15 at 6:43

• Welcome to TeX.SE. Do you perhaps mean $x_i^j$ and ${\hat{x}_i^j}$? – Peter Grill Dec 17 '15 at 5:21
• No, I mean ${x_i}^j$, so that exponent $j$ appears to the right of $x_i$. – user94293 Dec 17 '15 at 5:29

If you want the hat centered of the "x" and the "j" not too close, the most simple code would be \hat{x}_i{}^{j}. This way the height of the symbol is not taken into account, so is not exactly the same result, but {{}\hat{x}_i}^{j} obtain exactly the same result. Some comparisons:

\documentclass[a5paper,12pt,twocolumn]{article}
\begin{document}
$\widehat{x_i}^j$ \dotfill{\tiny   \verb|$\widehat{x_i}^j$|}\par
$\hat{x}_i{}^{j}$ \dotfill{\tiny    \verb|$\hat{x}_i{}^{j}$|}\par
${{}\hat{x}_i}^{j}$ \dotfill{\tiny    \verb|${{}\hat{x}_i}^{j}$|}\par
${\strut\hat{x}_i}^{j}$ \dotfill{\tiny    \verb|$\strut\hat{x}_i{}^{j}$|}\par
$\mbox{$\hat{x}_i$}^j$  \dotfill{\tiny  \verb|$\mbox{$\hat{x}_i$}^j$|}\par
$\hat{x_i}^j$ \dotfill{\tiny   \verb|$\hat{x_i}^j$|}\par
${\hat{x}_i}^j$ \dotfill{\tiny   \verb|${\hat{x}_i}^j$|}\par
\end{document}
• To get the exact same result as with the \mbox{}, I am now using ${\hat{x}_i{}}^j$. – user94293 Dec 17 '15 at 6:32
• @user94293 Unfortunately, not the same. I have updated the answer to not misleading, but it is already explained in the linked question. – Fran Dec 17 '15 at 6:50