# Correct Typography: Should Parentheses have same Height as Exponent Numbers or not? [closed]

Which behavior has the correct typography:

Should parentheses/brackets have the same height as exponent numbers or not?

Example no. 1:

[ \si{\square\meter} ]

Example no. 2:

\left[ \si{\square\meter} \right]

Alternative replaced by:

\big[ \si{\square\meter} \big]

I am not sure about which one of those has the correct typographic way on how to use the parentheses...

• Short answer: no. – egreg Dec 6 '18 at 22:43
• @egreg: Thanks! As far as I understood I should stop using \left[ ... \right] at all. But: Should I use \biggl instead, or do the standard parentheses [ have the correct size already (even if the exponents seem higher)? – Dave Dec 7 '18 at 8:21
• Longer answer: parentheses need not end up above exponents. – egreg Dec 7 '18 at 8:22
• That would need a lot of research; maybe later or tomorrow. But I'm not sure it is strictly a TeX question. – egreg Dec 7 '18 at 8:36
• It clearly is not. @Dave While I am going with egreg's opinion, I want to make clear that it is an opinion only. Both your examples are absolutely visually and mathematical understandable and I do not know any technical standard defining such things. So they are both correct. If you find the second one more pleasing, use it (but maybe your readers won't...) – LaRiFaRi Dec 7 '18 at 8:42