LaTeX Best Unit Vectors in LaTeX for TeX.SE Interaction

[Ackbach]

During an interaction on TeX.SE, egreg there posted some truly awesome code for doing unit vectors in $\LaTeX$:

\usepackage{newtxtext}
\usepackage{newtxmath}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{bm}
\newcommand{\uveci}{{\bm{\hat{\textnormal{\bfseries\i}}}}}
\newcommand{\uvecj}{{\bm{\hat{\textnormal{\bfseries\j}}}}}
\DeclareRobustCommand{\uvec}[1]{{%
  \ifcat\relax\noexpand#1%
    % it should be a Greek letter
    \bm{\hat{#1}}%
  \else
    \ifcsname uvec#1\endcsname
      \csname uvec#1\endcsname
    \else
      \bm{\hat{\mathbf{#1}}}%
     \fi
   \fi
}}

% for upright lowercase Greek; newtxmath hasn't an option for this
  \let\alpha\alphaup
  \let\beta\betaup
  \let\gamma\gammaup
  \let\delta\deltaup
  \let\epsilon\epsilonup
  \let\zeta\zetaup
  \let\eta\etaup
  \let\theta\thetaup
  \let\iota\iotaup
  \let\kappa\kappaup
  \let\lambda\lambdaup
  \let\mu\muup
  \let\nu\nuup
  \let\xi\xiup
  \let\pi\piup
  \let\rho\rhoup
  \let\sigma\sigmaup
  \let\tau\tauup
  \let\upsilon\upsilonup
  \let\phi\phiup
  \let\chi\chiup
  \let\psi\psiup
  \let\omega\omegaup
  \let\varepsilon\varepsilonup
  \let\vartheta\varthetaup
  \let\varpi\varpiup
  \let\varrho\varrhoup
  \let\varsigma\varsigmaup
  \let\varphi\varphiup

Comments:

1. This code is not compatible with the times package.

2. Usage: \uvec{i} or \uvec{\rho} or \uvec{\varphi}.

3. The Greek unit vectors are upright.

4. For \uvec{i} and \uvec{j}, this code will leave off the dots, letting the hat take their place. I think the result is highly satisfactory.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Some journals may not accept anything but $\hat{i}$. But thanks for sharing, anyway.