# Limits set with \mathclap are invisible in final pdf

I have a strange problem when typesetting sums, integrals etc. with long limits. Using the \mathclap command from mathtools, I want to type something like this

$A = \int\limits_{\text{a very long limit that would look prettier with mathclap}}^\infty \mathrm{d} x x^2$

(unfortunately mathclap isn't supported here it seems). However, anytime I try to use {\mathclap{...}}, like in this example

\documentclass[a4paper,10pt]{scrartcl}

\usepackage{amssymb,amsmath}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\begin{document}

$\Delta \varphi = 2 \int_{\mathclap{0(\frac{b}{r} \to 0 as r \to \infty)}}^{w_1} d w \left( 1 - w^2 \left( 1 - \frac{2M}{b} w \right) \right)^{-\frac{1}{2}}$

\end{document}


all I get is something like this

No error codes or warnings are shown, it just doesn't render the lower limit, and I have no idea why. I'm using MiKTeX and TeXMaker on a Windows 10 machine. Normally I use pdfLaTeX to compile my .tex-files, but I've also tried XeLaTeX, to no avail.

• could you just add a MWE starting with \documentclass etc... people willing too help will have faster go at copying pasting rather than recreating the whole mess, even if short. – user4686 Jan 9 '16 at 15:58
• and add a definition of your \dif. – user4686 Jan 9 '16 at 15:59
• I have no problem with pdflatex although the result is ugly. Thus, please check if your MikTeX install is up-to-date. – user4686 Jan 9 '16 at 16:01
• Your MWE produces this output with the lower limit showing, but overprinting the integral sign, and as appearing as math – David Carlisle Jan 9 '16 at 16:34
• As jfbu pointed out, running Update on Miktex showed that there was a relatively recent update for mathtools I didn't have installed. Installing it fixed the problem. – John W. Jan 9 '16 at 16:45

this is more a comment than an answer, but it's too complicated for a comment.

i don't know why your lower limit is disappearing; i don't get that result. however, if you're going to use \mathclap, you almost certainly want to use \limits on this integral so that the lower limit doesn't overprint the integral sign. and the "as" is almost certainly text, not two variables multiplied with the "r".

finally, mathtools loads amsmath, so there's no reason to load both.

here's the result after those changes:

\documentclass[a4paper,10pt]{scrartcl}

\usepackage{amssymb,mathtools}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\begin{document}

$\Delta \varphi = 2 \int\limits_{\mathclap{0(\frac{b}{r} \to 0 \text{ as } r \to \infty)}}^{w_1} d w \left( 1 - w^2 \left( 1 - \frac{2M}{b} w \right) \right)^{-\frac{1}{2}}$

\end{document}


• I was aware that I should use \limits, but wanted to rule out \limits was somehow messing with \mathclap. Thus I made a 'minimal' example without using too much at once. Anyway, running Update on MiKTex both as Admin and User and restarting TeXMaker did the trick. Thanks for the input though, I appreciate it. – John W. Jan 9 '16 at 16:44