How to Add Superscripts and Subscripts to Plots in R?, The basic syntax for adding superscripts or subscripts to charts in R is as follows.
define superscript expression
x.expression <- expression(x^3 ~ variable ~ label)
define subscript expression
y.expression <- expression(y[3] ~ variable ~ label)
axis labels with expressions
plot(x, y, xlab = x_expression, ylab = y_expression)
How to Add Superscripts and Subscripts to Plots in R?
These examples demonstrate how to apply this syntax in real-world situations.
Example 1: Axis labels with superscripts
The code below demonstrates how to add superscripts to an R plot’s axis labels.
Let’s create some data
x <- c(11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) y <- c(9, 10, 19, 18, 12, 19, 16, 19)
create x and y-axis labels with superscripts
x.expression <- expression(x^3 ~ variable ~ label) y.expression <- expression(y^3 ~ variable ~ label)
Now we can create a plot
plot(x, y, xlab = x.expression, ylab = y.expression)
Take note of the superscript in the labels of the x- and y-axes.
The graphic has a little gap where the y-axis superscript should be. With the help of R’s par() function, we can bring the axis labels closer to the plot.
adjust par values (default is (3, 0, 0))
par(mgp=c(2.5, 1, 0)) plot(x, y, xlab = x.expression, ylab = y.expression)
Remarkably, we selected “3” at random to go in the superscript. You are permitted to use any character or number as a superscript.
Example 2: Add Axis Labels with Subscripts
The code below demonstrates how to add subscripts to an axis label in an R plot.
x.expression <- expression(x[3] ~ variable ~ label) y.expression <- expression(y[3] ~ variable ~ label) plot(x, y, xlab = x.expression, ylab = y.expression)
