# Initial latex with latex subscript

**URL:** <https://cl.desmos.com/t/initial-latex-with-latex-subscript/4566>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** validation, correctness\
**Created:** [November 15, 2022, 11:02am UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/initial-latex-with-latex-subscript/4566 "2022-11-15T11:02:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GamaEuler](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/cl.desmos.com/gamaeuler/32/3251_2.png) [@GamaEuler](https://cl.desmos.com/u/GamaEuler)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 11:02am UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/initial-latex-with-latex-subscript/4566/1 "2022-11-15T11:02:13Z")

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For some reason, if i put initialLatex: “S\_{\infty}=” ,the input math box displays correctly, but the script checking against the numerical value in the input box marks it wrong.

initialLatex: “S\_{\infty}=”

correct:correct  
correct=input12b.numericValue=2000

suffix: when correct “✅” otherwise “❌”

Note that writing initialLatex: “S\_n” is actually fine… so I am confused.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ianmcmeek](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/cl.desmos.com/ianmcmeek/32/3966_2.png) [@ianmcmeek](https://cl.desmos.com/u/ianmcmeek)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/initial-latex-with-latex-subscript/4566/2 "2022-11-15T16:20:27Z")

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I’m also interested in hearing if there’s a solution for this!  
After tinkering around, I think the problem extends to any subscripts that aren’t allowed in the calculator, i.e. that contain something other than numbers and letters (`S_{n-1}`, `S_{\alpha}`, …). If you make a Boolean like `S_{\infty} = S_{\infty}`, even that isn’t successfully parsed and does not evaluate to true.

As a workaround, one possibility would be using `placeholderLatex` instead of `initialLatex`.