# Reduce size of sum sub/superscript?

I have a text with lots of sums where the sub/superscripts are pretty long, as in

$\displaystyle\sum_{ k=1+min\{a-1,b-1\}}^{ max\{a-1,b-1\} } i_k$


and when I compile the text gets very ugly, since the size of the superscripts drag the $i_k$ part far to the right, not counting the whole empty space it creates between the sum itself...

I am trying to find a way to countour the situation, but writing $\displaystyle \sum_{{\tiny k=1+min\{a-1,b-1\}}}^{{\tiny max\{a-1,b-1\}}}i_k$ doesn't seem to be doing anything... Is there a way to reduce the font size so that it fits exactly in the length of the sum symbol?

Edit: minimal working example with normal and tiny (the $i_k$ is tossed all the way to the right due to the length of the sub/superscripts)

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{report}

\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

$\displaystyle \sum_{k=1+min{a-1,b-1}}^{max{a-1,b-1}}i_k$ \\
$\displaystyle \sum_{{\tiny k=1+min{a-1,b-1}}}^{{\tiny max{a-1,b-1}}}i_k$ \\

\end{document}

• Font size commands suxch as \tiny are for text mode. Could you please post a minimal compilable code? – Bernard May 20 '19 at 18:56
• Welcome to TeX.SX! Please help us help you and add a minimal working example (MWE) that illustrates your problem. Reproducing the problem and finding out what the issue is will be much easier when we see compilable code, starting with \documentclass{...} and ending with \end{document}. – user170109 May 20 '19 at 19:02
• you should almost never need $\displaystyle which by definition is forcing a display style that is too large for inline text mode math. – David Carlisle May 20 '19 at 20:25 ## 3 Answers You can use the \smashoperator command from mathtools , and also insist for using \scriptscriptstyle instead of scriptstyle, but there might be a legibility problem: \documentclass{article} \usepackage{mathtools} \begin{document}$\displaystyle\smashoperator{\sum_{k=1+\min(a-1,b-1)}^{\max(a-1,b-1)}}i_k$\bigskip$\displaystyle\smashoperator{\sum_{\scriptscriptstyle k=1+\min(a-1,b-1)}^{\scriptscriptstyle\max(a-1,b-1)}}i_k$\end{document}  To reduce the amount of visual overload inflicted on your readers, I would proceed along the following lines: \documentclass{article} \usepackage{amsmath} \begin{document} Put$\mu(a,b)=1+\min\{a-1,b-1\}$and$\nu(a,b)=\max\{a-1,b-1\}$. Then $\sum_{ k=\mu(a,b)}^{ \nu(a,b) } i_k$ is defined as \dots \end{document}  You could simplify this a lot like this: \documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{report} \usepackage{amsmath} \begin{document} $\sum_k i_k$ with$1+\min(a-1,b-1)\le k\le \max(a-1,b-1)\$

\end{document}