How do I access the integral symbol "\int" after renewcommanding "\int" to something else?

I like to define "\int" to be \operatorname{int}, where int refers to the interior automorphism defined by an element of a group.

This is good for me because integrals never appear in my writing... except sometimes they do. Is there a way to access the integral symbol (usually accessed by $\int$) after you renewcommand{\int}{\operatorname{int}} ?

• The usual term is inner automorphism, rather than interior. May 25 at 22:00
• @egreg I agree, but somehow the shorthand "int" appears in a number of sources (often of French origin). May 25 at 22:12

You can use \let. Since you want to redefine \int as an operator, you need to "unassign" it first using \let\int\relax. If you use \renewcommand, you don't have to do this, but if you use \DeclareMathOperator*, you do.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{amsmath}

\let\oldint\int\let\int\relax\DeclareMathOperator*{\int}{int}

\begin{document}

Here is $\int_{a=1}$ inline. Also, $\oldint_0^1f(x)$, And also displayed:
$\int_{a=1}\qquad\oldint_0^1f(x)$

\end{document}


The safest way is to use \NewCommandCopy:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\NewCommandCopy{\INT}{\int}
\renewcommand{\int}{\operatorname{int}}


If you don't have a recent LaTeX, you can use

\let\INT\int


(but it's better to update).

However, I wouldn't do it and rather use a different name, for instance

\DeclareMathOperator{\Int}{int}

• Note that the first approach will not work with a package like unicode-math that delays declaring its symbols. In that situation, you must wrap the command in \AtBeginDocument. Or, use the better solution at the end of your post! May 26 at 0:04