TeXipedia

lparen

Represents a left parenthesis character with proper mathematical spacing in equations and formulas.

Overview

Provides a semantically correct way to insert parentheses in mathematical expressions, ensuring proper spacing and alignment within equations. Unlike using a regular parenthesis character, this command maintains consistent spacing with adjacent mathematical elements.

  • Essential for professional mathematical typesetting
  • Often used in complex mathematical expressions where proper spacing is crucial
  • Particularly useful in displayed equations and when nesting multiple levels of parentheses
  • Automatically adjusts spacing based on surrounding mathematical content

Examples

Using left parenthesis in a mathematical expression with proper sizing

(1x2+1)\left\lparen \frac{1}{x^2 + 1} \right\rparen 
\left\lparen \frac{1}{x^2 + 1} \right\rparen

Nested parentheses showing explicit left parenthesis usage

f(x(y+z))f\lparen x \lparen y + z \rparen \rparen 
f\lparen x \lparen y + z \rparen \rparen

Matrix determinant notation using explicit parentheses

det⁡(abcd)\det \lparen \begin{matrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{matrix} \rparen 
\det \lparen \begin{matrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{matrix} \rparen