Math & Science ⇒ Differential operator

[svend_tveskaeg]

Hi everyone.

Consider the following document:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{amsmath}

\makeatletter
\providecommand*{\diffoperator}%
   {\@ifnextchar^{\diff}{\diff^{}}}
\def\diff^#1{%
   \mathop{\mathrm{\mathstrut d}}%
      \nolimits^{#1}\gobblespace
}
\def\gobblespace{%
   \futurelet\diffarg\opspace}
\def\opspace{%
   \let\DiffSpace\!%
   \ifx\diffarg(%
      \let\DiffSpace\relax
   \else
      \ifx\diffarg\[%
         \let\DiffSpace\relax
      \else
         \ifx\diffarg\{%
            \let\DiffSpace\relax
         \fi\fi\fi\DiffSpace}
\makeatother

\begin{document}

Consider the following examples:
\begin{equation*}
  \int_{a}^{b}\text{foal}(t) \operatorname{d}t = \text{horse}
\end{equation*}
versus
\begin{equation*}
  \int_{a}^{b}\text{foal}(t) \diffoperator t = \text{horse}.
\end{equation*}
\end{document}

Should I use the differential operator in the first expression or the one in the second expression?

Thank you in advance!

PS. The code for creating the second differential operator was found in the article ``Typesetting mathematics for science and technology according to ISO31/XI'' in TUGBoat 18:1.

[frabjous]

Of those two, I definitely prefer the second one.

You might also consider the \dif command from the commath package.

[svend_tveskaeg]

Thank you very much!

[svend_tveskaeg]

According to this post on {TeX} SX, the correct code for the differential operator (here \diff) would be

Code: Select all

\newcommand*\diff{\mathop{}\!\mathrm{d}}