Subscripted

Subscripted is an adjective describing text, symbols, or notation that includes subscripts—characters placed below the baseline and usually smaller than the main text. Subscripts are used to convey additional information such as indices, components, or quantities without altering the main symbol.

In mathematics and the sciences, subscripted notation is prevalent. Subscripts label components of vectors or tensors (for example, x_i or A_i^j), denote elements of sequences or matrices (a_1, b_3), or indicate chemical species in formulas (H_2O, CO_2). They help distinguish related variables or show dependence on an index.

In chemistry, subscripts express the number of atoms in a molecule, as in H_2O or CO_2. In physics and engineering, they appear in equations to identify components, species, or coordinate indices. Subscripts are also common in computer science and data science for array indexing, such as a[i] or A_i, to indicate a particular element.

Typography and encoding discuss subscripts as formatting. Subscript text is used in typesetting and can be rendered with the HTML <sub> tag or Unicode subscript characters. Subscripts differ from superscripts, which appear above the baseline and are used for exponents or footnotes.

Overall, subscripted notation is a compact way to add dimensional, sequential, or relational information to symbols, enhancing clarity in technical writing while requiring careful formatting to maintain readability. See also: subscript, indices, Unicode subscripts, array indexing.