2-D Math Shortcut Keys and Hints

Ctrl + Shift + R (Command + Shift + R, for Mac)
Note: To increase the size of a piecewise function, add a new row. Place the cursor on the last row, and press the shortcut keys.

Table Columns

Ctrl + Shift + C (Command + Shift + C, for Mac)

Left Superscript $^{1}$

Ctrl + Shift + ^ (Command + Shift + ^, for Mac)

Ctrl + Alt + P (Command + Alt + P, for Mac)

Left Subscript $^{1}$

Ctrl + Q

Greek Mode (Next Character Entered as Greek)

Ctrl + Shift + G (Command + Shift + G, for Mac)

Escape Next Character (For displaying "^" or "_", for example)

Scope Out*

Ctrl + [

Ctrl + Alt + K (Command + Alt + K, for Mac)

Scope In*

Ctrl + ]

Ctrl + Alt + J (Command + Alt + J, for Mac)

Return Cursor to Baseline

Ctrl + / (Command + /, for Mac)

Ctrl + Alt + L (Command + Alt + L, for Mac)

$^{1}$ Use right arrow key to leave denominator, numerator, superscript, or subscript region.

Notes:

•	International shortcut keys are provided for users whose keyboard layouts do not handle the existing keys.

•	For international shortcut keys on Mac, it is possible to use Opt instead of Alt.

Navigating 2-D Mathematical Expressions

Return to Baseline (Ctrl + /) returns the cursor to the top-level baseline after the structure at the current location. For example, if the cursor is several levels up in a superscript of a superscript, Return to Baseline places the cursor after the entire structure.

•	Scope In and Scope Out move the cursor in or out of a nested structure.

–	Scope In* descends to the first logical position within a structure, and continues deeper with further key presses.

–	Scope Out* moves the cursor to the first logical position outside of the current structure (for example, to just before a fraction).

	Entering Greek Characters
	The shortcut key combination Ctrl + Shift + G (Command + Shift + G, for Mac) places the editor in a Greek mode, which makes the next character entered a Greek character. When Greek mode is entered, the status bar mode indicator switches to 2-D Greek.

Greek Mode Keymap

For Lowercase Greek	Type	For Uppercase Greek	Type
$α$	a	$Α$	A
$β$	b	$Β$	B
$χ$	c	$Χ$	C
$δ$	d	$Δ$	D
$ε$	e	$Ε$	E
$φ$	f	$Φ$	F
$γ$	g	$Γ$	G
$η$	h	$Η$	H
$ι$	i	$Ι$	I
$ϕ$	j	$ϑ$	J
$κ$	k	$Κ$	K
$λ$	l	$Λ$	L
$μ$	m	$Μ$	M
$ν$	n	$Ν$	N
$ο$	o	$Ο$	O
$π$	p	$Π$	P
$θ$	q	$Θ$	Q
$ρ$	r	$Ρ$	R
$σ$	s	$Σ$	S
$τ$	t	$Τ$	T
$υ$	u	$Υ$	U
$ϖ$	v	$ς$	V
$ω$	w	$Ω$	W
$ξ$	x	$Ξ$	X
$ψ$	y	$Ψ$	Y
$ζ$	z	$Ζ$	Z

Escaping Characters that are Shortcut Keys

Characters that are shortcut keys in 2-D math must be escaped. To enter a character corresponding to a shortcut key, such as ^, _, or /, first press Backslash (\), then the character. For example, to display the ^ in a 2-D math region, press \ and then ^.

When typing filenames for Windows, which use the backslash as a directory separator, you can either type each backslash as two backslashes, or you can use forward slashes. For more information, see the Filenames section of the file help page.

Command Completion and Entering Symbols

Enter the name or partial name of a symbol, for example, Del (the first three characters in Delta), and then press:

•	Esc, for Mac, Windows, and Linux

•	Ctrl + Space, for Windows

•	Ctrl + Shift + Space, for Linux

Alternatively, use the palette by clicking the corresponding palette symbol.

Entering Rationals

When typing a rational expression, the preceding term can be used for either the numerator or the denominator.

•	Press / (forward slash) to use the preceding term for the numerator, and then enter the denominator. For example, entering a / b produces $\frac{a}{b}$ .

•	Press // (two forward slashes) to use the preceding term for the denominator, and then enter then numerator. For example, entering a / / b produces $\frac{b}{a}$ .

Entering Derivatives Using Prime Notation and Dot Notation

Derivatives can be entered using the Expression palette. For example, use $\frac{&DifferentialD;}{&DifferentialD; x} f$ to create $\frac{{&DifferentialD;}^{2}}{&DifferentialD; x^{2}} y (x) + \frac{&DifferentialD;}{&DifferentialD; x} y (x) = 0$ . There are also shortcuts available for prime notation and dot notation.

Prime notation for derivatives with respect to $x$ can be entered by pressing the right single quote ('). For example, entering y ' ' + y ' = 0 produces $y'' + y' = 0$ . In this example, be sure to use two right single quotes (not double quotes) to enter a second derivative.

Dot notation for derivatives with respect to $t$ can be entered by pressing the period (.) while in the overscript mode above the variable. For example, enter y, then press Ctrl + Shift + " (Command + Shift + ", for Mac) to place the cursor in the overscript position, then enter two periods (. .) to produce $\overset{..}{y}$ . Use the right arrow to leave the overscript region after entering the dots to continue the expression. Finish the expression using the same method to produce $\overset{..}{y} + \overset{&period;}{y} = 0$ .

Indexed Subscript versus Literal Subscript

•	The index subscript, entered by pressing Ctrl + Shift + _ , refers to an element of the base. For example, $x_{1}$ is the first element of the variable $x$ (where $x$ is, for example, a list or Matrix).

•	The literal subscript, entered by typing Underscore twice (__), creates a subscripted variable name. For example, $x__1$ is a variable, and is not related to the variable $x$ . Variables with literal subscripts are referred to as atomic variables in Maple.

Entering the Right Arrow

The right arrow can be entered as follows:

•	Using the right arrow in the Arrows palette

•	Entering the name RightArrow and using Command/Symbol Completion

•	Entering the dash and right chevron symbol (- + >), which automatically forms a right arrow

Selecting Versus Inserting Expressions

Use the Forward Slash (/) symbol to create a rational or the Caret (^) symbol to create a superscript.
For example, to create a superscript, you can insert the cursor or select the area that is to be the base.

Example: Inserting

Enter 2b c d, and then insert the cursor after b. Press Shift + ^ and type 2. An exponent (superscript) is inserted for b.

$2 b^{2} c d$

Example: Selecting Expression

Enter 2b c d, and then select 2b. (You can make a selection by holding down Shift and using the left/right arrow keys.) Press the ^ symbol and enter 2. The selected area becomes the base for the exponent (superscript). In this case it inserts parentheses around the base.

${(2 b)}^{2} c d$

	See Also
	2DMath, Entering Expressions, Filenames, Greek

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