Mathematical Italic Small I 𝑖

Visual Description: This symbol is the lowercase i rendered in a slanted, mathematical italic font. The stem leans to the right, and a small dot sits above it with a precise, compact spacing. In many typefaces, the i looks distinct from the text i, reducing confusion in equations.

Meaning & Usage: It is used as a variable, index, or often as the imaginary unit in formulas. In dense equations, the math italic i helps keep symbols visually separate from ordinary text. In calculators and editors, it signals a mathematical value rather than plain letters, guiding quick comparisons and operations.

Historical Background: This style emerged as part of a broader set of mathematical alphanumeric symbols. Designers created separate shapes to keep math letters distinct from words in running text. The goal was clarity in formulas, graphs, and software, not to celebrate any single person or moment, but to support consistent notation.

Practical Use: When typesetting, choose a math italic font for i to keep equations readable. In math editors and calculators, it appears in complex-number contexts and in indexed variables. Quick UI controls let users insert or toggle italic style, compare values, or switch between variable and constant roles during an analysis.

See our category page for related symbols.

Look‑alikes: i (U+69).

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