# Clunky iterated, parametrised functions

I am writing a document about the quadratic family and want to use expressions of the form f^{2n}_{-1}(z), but simply typing this in the maths environment gives me quite clunky results:

Do you have any advice to make this look better?

I would think that a smaller, closer minus sign would be better, like the picture in this question. I have tried this command

\newcommand{\minus}[1]{{#1}^{-}}


from this question, but it gives me this result instead.

Which except for the fatal flaw, it also would not look too good, as the minus sign is still quit large.

Perhaps making both the superscript and subscript look smaller would help. Please note that I am a relative beginner in terms of typesetting. I am also aware that this is not standard practice, but my eye just cannot accept my current results.

Maybe using \textrm{-}?

## Code

\documentclass{standalone}

\begin{document}
$f^{2n}_{\textrm{-}1}$
\end{document}

• That does look better, thanks!What does "rm" in \textrm stand for? Nov 18 '16 at 21:16
• @AndreaDiBiagio it means that it will format the text in the same style as your normal roman text. The normal roman text is what you get when you type something outside math mode. Nov 19 '16 at 8:30