# Overset over an array

I'm trying to get overbrace and overset effect on the left but with this code I'm getting the result on the right.

$f_V(v) = \left\{ \begin{array}{cc} \frac{dF_Z(z)}{dx} = \overset{symbol2}{\overset{symbol1}{\overbrace{2\pi(\frac{\alpha q}{4^\pi})^{\nicefrac{7}{8}}}}} \\ 0\\ \end{array} \right.$


Any idea how to place symbol 1 and symbol 2 over the array? Thanks in advance.

First, I use display style math, delimited with $...$ rather than $...$. I used \dfrac where needed to get embedded fraction in display style. Importantly, I \smashed the \overset fraction, so as not to adversely affect the left brace. However, this comes with a need to manually compensate for the resultant lack of vertical space above, which I did with a \bigskip before entering math mode. Also added, for the same reason, was extra space manually between the two lines of the equation with \$10pt]. I also opted to make the parens \Big. \documentclass{article} \usepackage{nicefrac,amsmath,lipsum} \DeclareMathOperator\dla{dla} \begin{document} \lipsum[1]\bigskip \[f_V(v) = \left\{ \begin{array}{cl} \dfrac{dF_Z(z)}{dx} = \smash{\overset{I>E}{\overset{\cdot \mathrm{II}}{% \overbrace{2\pi\Bigl(\dfrac{\alpha q}{4^\pi}\Bigr)^{\nicefrac{7}{8}}}}}}% \ldots& \dla z \le 0 \\[10pt] 0 & \dla z > 0\\ \end{array} \right.$
\lipsum[2]
\end{document}


If I misunderstood the bottom overset, perhaps it was intended to be \overset{\rotatebox{90}{$\overset{.}{=}$}}, requiring the graphicx package. Furthermore, if that underset requires right-alignment, as indicated in the OP's MWE, then stackengine can help:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{nicefrac,amsmath,lipsum,graphicx,stackengine}
\stackMath
\DeclareMathOperator\dla{dla}
\begin{document}
\lipsum[1]\bigskip
$f_V(v) = \left\{ \begin{array}{cl} \dfrac{dF_Z(z)}{dx} = \smash{\overset{I>\stackunder{\scriptstyle E}{% \rotatebox{90}{\scriptstyle\overset{.}{=}}}}{% \overbrace{2\pi\Bigl(\dfrac{\alpha q}{4^\pi}\Bigr)^{\nicefrac{7}{8}}}}}% \ldots& \dla z \le 0 \\[10pt] 0 & \dla z > 0\\ \end{array} \right.$
\lipsum[2]
\end{document}


• Second solution worked perfectly, thank you very much :)
– Vash
Jan 17 '17 at 14:51