---
title: Why do my user defined symbols display incorrectly
---

# Why do my user defined symbols (e.g., `\i, \l, \L, \o, \ae,` etc.) display incorrectly in the processed document?

By default, our system processes documents using
[HyperTeX](http://arXiv.org/hypertex), which includes the `pd1enc.def`
macro. Since the macro is called late in the preamble, it will overwrite
previous definitions, including author defined single character
definitions using `\i, \l, \o, \ae,` and some common composites:

``` 
  \DeclareTextCommand{\L}{PD1}{L} % Lslash, \225
  \DeclareTextCommand{\OE}{PD1}{\226} % OE
  \DeclareTextCommand{\IJ}{PD1}{\230}
  \DeclareTextCommand{\i}{PD1}{i} % dotlessi, \232
  \DeclareTextCommand{\l}{PD1}{l} % lslash, \233
  \DeclareTextCommand{\oe}{PD1}{\234} % oe
  \DeclareTextCommand{\AE}{PD1}{\306} % AE
  \DeclareTextCommand{\DH}{PD1}{\320} % Eth
  \DeclareTextCommand{\DJ}{PD1}{\320} % Eth
  \DeclareTextCommand{\O}{PD1}{\330} % Oslash
  \DeclareTextCommand{\TH}{PD1}{\336} % Thorn
  \DeclareTextCommand{\ss}{PD1}{\337} % germandbls
  \DeclareTextCommand{\ae}{PD1}{\346} % ae
  \DeclareTextCommand{\dh}{PD1}{\360} % eth
  \DeclareTextCommand{\o}{PD1}{\370} % oslash
  \DeclareTextCommand{\th}{PD1}{\376} % thorn
  \DeclareTextCommand{\ij}{PD1}{\377}
  \DeclareTextCommand{\SS}{PD1}{SS}
```

To circumvent this problem, you should either avoid using the
abbreviations above, or [disable
HyperTeX](mistakes.md#nohypertex).