Subscript and Superscript in LaTeX
Use _ for subscripts and ^ for superscripts inside math mode.
Quick Answer
latex
$x^2$ % superscript: x²
$x_i$ % subscript: xᵢ
$x^{2n}$ % multi-char superscript
$x_{ij}$ % multi-char subscriptBasic Usage
Superscripts and subscripts only work inside math mode ($...$ or \[...\]). Use curly braces for anything longer than a single character.
latex
% Superscript:
$x^2$ % x squared
$e^{i\pi}$ % Euler's formula
$2^{10} = 1024$ % powers
% Subscript:
$x_1, x_2, x_3$ % indexed variables
$a_{ij}$ % matrix element
$\log_2 n$ % logarithm base
% Combined:
$x_i^2$ % subscript and superscript
$\sum_{i=1}^{n}$ % classic sum notationLimits on Operators
On large operators like \sum and \int, sub/superscripts become limits (above/below in display mode, beside in inline mode).
latex
% Display mode — limits appear above and below:
\[ \sum_{i=1}^{n} i = \frac{n(n+1)}{2} \]
% Inline — limits appear beside: $\sum_{i=1}^{n} i$
% Force limits style in inline:
$\sum\limits_{i=1}^{n} i$
% Force beside style in display:
\[ \sum\nolimits_{i=1}^{n} i \]Writing your thesis in LaTeX?
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For chemical formulas or text context, use \textsubscript and \textsuperscript — no math mode needed.
latex
H\textsubscript{2}O % H₂O (water)
CO\textsubscript{2} % CO₂ (carbon dioxide)
Area = 10 m\textsuperscript{2}
The 1\textsuperscript{st} resultStacked Sub/Superscript
latex
% Both on the same symbol:
$x_i^2$ % subscript first, then superscript
${}_i^j X$ % both to the left (e.g., tensor notation)
% Primes:
$f'(x)$ % first derivative (f prime)
$f''(x)$ % second derivative
$f^{\prime}(x)$ % explicit prime commandRelated Topics
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