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This answer addresses the possible way to typeset a bigger integral sign, but one has to choose the right size of the symbol that better fits the situation.

My question is: why can't we resize the \int symbol as we usually do for common delimiters (), [] and \{\}?

By writing

\left\{ \left[ \left( stuff \right) \right] \right\}

delimiters are automatically sized with respect to stuff and the preceding/subsequent delimiter.

Why can't we write

\left \int \left\{ \left[ \left( stuff \right) \right] \right\} \right.

so that the \int symbol is automatically sized, too?

8
  • 1
    most fonts only have the integral and summation in two sizes, they are not really delimiters that should stretch, but stylized S and Sigma characters Mar 11, 2020 at 17:26
  • 1
    Indeed, they are not delimiters. But from a practical point of view, they are treated almost likewise, at least from an aesthetical point of view (maybe). Mar 11, 2020 at 17:34
  • well not really \sum can't scale at all and \int you could only scale if it has a vertical style , actually I think there is at least one tex font package that does scale int but I'm out of time now, may look later if no one has answered Mar 11, 2020 at 17:41
  • 1
    @AlessandroCuttin Please, don't. Four story or bigger fractions are evil and should be avoided like the plague.
    – egreg
    Mar 11, 2020 at 18:02
  • 2
    Have you seen the posting Big integral sign?
    – Mico
    Mar 11, 2020 at 20:30

1 Answer 1

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Opentype Math fonts can make use of the Integral extension character U+23AE

enter image description here

I'm not sure I like the result but this is Cambria Math with LuaLaTeX.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{unicode-math}
\setmathfont{Cambria math}

\begin{document}


\[
\Uleft\Udelimiter 0 0 "222B
\begin{pmatrix}
  1
\end{pmatrix}
\Uright.
\rightarrow
\Uleft\Udelimiter 0 0 "222B
\begin{pmatrix}
  1\\2
\end{pmatrix}
\Uright.
\rightarrow
\Uleft\Udelimiter 0 0 "222B
\begin{pmatrix}
  1\\2\\3\\4
\end{pmatrix}
\Uright.
\rightarrow
\Uleft\Udelimiter 0 0 "222B
\begin{pmatrix}
  1\\2\\3\\4\\5\\6
\end{pmatrix}
\Uright.
\]
\end{document}
1
  • I'm not sure that you can put limits on these extended integrals though. Mar 11, 2020 at 22:50

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