# How can I force the argument of a summation to not be offset [duplicate]

Right now, my summation looks like this since I have a long bottom argument:

$\sum\limits_{x \in A[1...i-1]} x$


How can I make it so that the x is not so offset by the bottom argument text?

• Better to not use \limits in inline math. It causes uneven line spacing. Jan 18 '16 at 3:41

You could achieve the desired effect by using the \smashoperator macro, which is provided by the mathtools package, with the [r] option. This informs LaTeX that an overlap should be allowed between the material placed below the summation symbol and the material that follows after the summation symbol.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{mathtools} % for "\smashoperator" macro
\setlength\textwidth{3in} % just for this example
\begin{document}
No overlap on either side
$y = \sum_{x \in A[1,\dots,i-1]} x$

\bigskip
Overlap on right-hand side only
$% note the option "[r]" in the following line y = \smashoperator[r]{\sum_{x \in A[1,\dots,i-1]}} x$

\bigskip
Overlap on both sides
$y = \smashoperator{\sum_{x \in A[1,\dots,i-1]}} x$

\end{document}


See if \mathrlap{...} from mathtools package gives what you like to obtain:

\documentclass[border=3mm,preview]{standalone}
\usepackage{mathtools}

\begin{document}
$y=\sum\limits_{\mathrlap{x \in A[1...i-1]}} x$
\end{document}


• I think the OP wants to allow an overlap on the right-hand side only.
– Mico
Jan 18 '16 at 3:40
• yes, I apload wrong answer. I just correcting it now: instead of \rlap should be \mathrlap ... Jan 18 '16 at 3:43