Text Formatting ⇒ Normal and large hat

[Jongomez]

Hello,
Is it possible to produce a hat symbol for a capital letter, between

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$\hat{M}$ and $\widehat{M}

?

Thank you.

[rais]

Here's an idea:

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\documentclass{article}
\newlength\hwhatcwidth% half wide hat's contents width
\newlength\hwhatuwidth% half wide hat's contents width with contents upright
\newcommand*\halfwidehat[1]{%
  \settowidth\hwhatcwidth{\ensuremath{#1}}%
  \settowidth\hwhatuwidth{\ensuremath{\mathrm{#1}}}%
  \addtolength\hwhatuwidth{-\hwhatcwidth}% now difference between upright/real
% since the real width is usually wider for standard math italics font, this will be negative
  \makebox[0pt][l]{% overprint its contents with what follows after its closing brace
    \kern\dimexpr0.25\hwhatcwidth-0.667\hwhatuwidth\relax% left offset for shortened \widehat
    \ensuremath{\widehat{\vphantom{#1}\rule{0.5\hwhatcwidth}{0pt}}}% put a \widehat over nothing
% this `nothing' is as high as the string to be put underneath (\vphantom{#1), but only half as wide
  }#1% overprint \makebox with given string
}%\halfwidehat{string}
\begin{document}
$\hat{M}$ and $\widehat{M}$
perhaps\ $\halfwidehat{M}$
$\halfwidehat{ABC}$
\end{document}

Just don't use this \halfwidehat on strings wider than 3 characters, otherwise parts of the string will drop out of the hat
KR
Rainer

[Jongomez]

Hello KRainer,
I have found this package

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\usepackage{lmodern} %don't know if it is necessary
\newcommand{\wh}{\widehat}

and use the command

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\wh{} instead of \hat{} or \widehar{}

and it seems quite acceptable.

What do you think?

Thank you

[rais]

Well, I don't really see a difference using lmodern or not. Your

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\newcommand{\wh}{\widehat}

just creates a shorter name `\wh' for `\widehat', you can see that \wh uses \widhat internally. Unless either is changed later, \wh and \widehat should produce exactly the same.
On the other hand, if you deem the result acceptable, who am I to argue?

(you may have loaded another package that ships with its own definition of \widehat, you could check against symbols-a4)

KR
Rainer

[Jongomez]

Ok Rainer, that's Ok.

Danke schön,
Jon