fix(math): preserve italic on variables inside function-wrapped limits (SD-2538)

apps/docs/llms.txt

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ SuperDoc renders, edits, and automates .docx files — in the browser, headless
 - Reads and writes OOXML natively — documents stay real .docx files at every step
 - 180+ MCP tools covering reading, editing, formatting, comments, tracked changes, and more
 - Tracked changes and comments as first-class operations
+- Math equations render natively as MathML — no external library needed
 - Same document model across browser editor, headless Node, and APIs
 - Stateless API for convert, annotate, sign, and verify
 - Real-time collaboration with Yjs CRDT

packages/layout-engine/painters/dom/src/features/math/converters/function.ts

@@ -3,10 +3,38 @@ import type { MathObjectConverter } from '../types.js';
 const MATHML_NS = 'http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML';
 const FUNCTION_APPLY_OPERATOR = '\u2061';
 
+// Boundary elements for the function-name mathvariant walk: every MathML
+// element whose children occupy their own semantic slot (base, subscript,
+// limit, matrix cell, etc.). When m:fName wraps one of these, the slot
+// content carries authored styling per ECMA-376 §22.1.2.111 and must not be
+// overwritten. Anything inside these is skipped.
+const MATH_VARIANT_BOUNDARY_ELEMENTS = new Set([
+  'munder',
+  'mover',
+  'munderover',
+  'msub',
+  'msup',
+  'msubsup',
+  'mmultiscripts',
+  'mfrac',
+  'msqrt',
+  'mroot',
+  'mtable',
+  'mtr',
+  'mtd',
+]);
+
 function forceNormalMathVariant(root: ParentNode): void {
-  root.querySelectorAll('mi').forEach((identifier) => {
-    identifier.setAttribute('mathvariant', 'normal');
-  });
+  // Array.from is required here: HTMLCollection is not iterable under the
+  // default DOM lib (needs `dom.iterable`), so `for…of root.children` fails
+  // type-check.
+  for (const child of Array.from(root.children)) {
+    if (MATH_VARIANT_BOUNDARY_ELEMENTS.has(child.localName)) continue;
+    if (child.localName === 'mi' && !child.hasAttribute('mathvariant')) {
+      child.setAttribute('mathvariant', 'normal');
+    }
+    forceNormalMathVariant(child);
+  }
 }
 
 /**

packages/layout-engine/painters/dom/src/features/math/omml-to-mathml.test.ts

@@ -861,6 +861,43 @@ describe('m:func converter', () => {
     expect(mis[0]!.textContent).toBe('sin');
     expect(mis[1]!.textContent).toBe('cos');
   });
+
+  it('preserves explicit m:sty=i on function-name runs', () => {
+    // SD-2538 preserve branch: forceNormalMathVariant must NOT overwrite
+    // an existing mathvariant. When Word marks a function-name run with
+    // m:sty="i", convertMathRun already set mathvariant="italic" — the
+    // function-apply pass must leave it alone.
+    const omml = {
+      name: 'm:oMath',
+      elements: [
+        {
+          name: 'm:func',
+          elements: [
+            {
+              name: 'm:fName',
+              elements: [
+                {
+                  name: 'm:r',
+                  elements: [
+                    { name: 'm:rPr', elements: [{ name: 'm:sty', attributes: { 'm:val': 'i' } }] },
+                    { name: 'm:t', elements: [{ type: 'text', text: 'L' }] },
+                  ],
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+            {
+              name: 'm:e',
+              elements: [{ name: 'm:r', elements: [{ name: 'm:t', elements: [{ type: 'text', text: 'x' }] }] }],
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+    const result = convertOmmlToMathml(omml, doc);
+    const nameMi = result!.querySelectorAll('mi')[0];
+    expect(nameMi!.textContent).toBe('L');
+    expect(nameMi!.getAttribute('mathvariant')).toBe('italic');
+  });
 });
 
 describe('m:rad converter', () => {
@@ -2296,8 +2333,18 @@ describe('m:limLow converter', () => {
     const munder = result!.querySelector('munder');
     expect(munder).not.toBeNull();
     expect(munder!.children.length).toBe(2);
-    expect(munder!.children[0]!.textContent).toBe('lim');
-    expect(munder!.children[1]!.textContent).toBe('n');
+
+    // Base: "lim" — upright via m:sty=p on the run.
+    const limMi = munder!.children[0]!.querySelector('mi');
+    expect(limMi!.textContent).toBe('lim');
+    expect(limMi!.getAttribute('mathvariant')).toBe('normal');
+
+    // Limit expression: "n" — must stay italic (no mathvariant attribute set).
+    // SD-2538 regression: convertFunction used to recurse into the <munder>
+    // and force mathvariant="normal" on every <mi>, including this one.
+    const nMi = munder!.children[1]!.querySelector('mi');
+    expect(nMi!.textContent).toBe('n');
+    expect(nMi!.getAttribute('mathvariant')).toBeNull();
   });
 });
 
@@ -2565,8 +2612,17 @@ describe('m:limUpp converter', () => {
     const mover = result!.querySelector('mover');
     expect(mover).not.toBeNull();
     expect(mover!.children.length).toBe(2);
-    expect(mover!.children[0]!.textContent).toBe('lim');
-    expect(mover!.children[1]!.textContent).toBe('x');
+
+    // Base: "lim" — upright via m:sty=p. Limit variable "x" — italic default.
+    // Symmetric to the m:limLow-in-m:func case; pins the 'mover' entry of
+    // MATH_VARIANT_BOUNDARY_ELEMENTS.
+    const limMi = mover!.children[0]!.querySelector('mi');
+    expect(limMi!.textContent).toBe('lim');
+    expect(limMi!.getAttribute('mathvariant')).toBe('normal');
+
+    const xMi = mover!.children[1]!.querySelector('mi');
+    expect(xMi!.textContent).toBe('x');
+    expect(xMi!.getAttribute('mathvariant')).toBeNull();
   });
 });
 

tests/behavior/tests/importing/math-equations.spec.ts

@@ -724,6 +724,48 @@ test.describe('m:limLow / m:limUpp (limit object) rendering', () => {
     expect(counts.sup).toBe(1);
   });
 
+  test('keeps limit variables italic when m:limLow/m:limUpp is wrapped in m:func (SD-2538)', async ({ superdoc }) => {
+    await superdoc.loadDocument(LIMIT_DOC);
+    await superdoc.waitForStable();
+
+    // ECMA-376 §22.1.2.111: m:r without m:sty defaults to italic. Word's own
+    // OMML2MML.xsl emits <mi>n</mi> (no mathvariant) for limit variables.
+    //
+    // Fixture math-limit-tests.docx has 6 m:func>m:fName wrappers: 5 around
+    // m:limLow (→ <munder>) and 1 around m:limUpp (→ <mover>). The function
+    // bases are lim×4, max×1, sup×1 — all carry m:sty=p and must render
+    // upright. The limit expression runs have no m:sty and must stay italic.
+    const FUNCTION_BASES = ['lim', 'max', 'sup'];
+    const variantCheck = await superdoc.page.evaluate((bases) => {
+      const collect = (tag: string) =>
+        Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(tag))
+          .map((el) => {
+            const baseMi = el.children[0]?.querySelector('mi');
+            const limitEl = el.children[1];
+            return {
+              base: baseMi?.textContent ?? '',
+              baseVariant: baseMi?.getAttribute('mathvariant') ?? null,
+              limitVariants: Array.from(limitEl?.querySelectorAll('mi') ?? []).map((mi) =>
+                mi.getAttribute('mathvariant'),
+              ),
+            };
+          })
+          .filter((entry) => bases.includes(entry.base));
+      return { munder: collect('munder'), mover: collect('mover') };
+    }, FUNCTION_BASES);
+
+    // Exact counts pin against a regression that drops a case silently.
+    expect(variantCheck.munder).toHaveLength(5); // 3×lim + 1×max + 1×sup
+    expect(variantCheck.mover).toHaveLength(1); // 1×lim (case: m:limUpp in func)
+
+    for (const entry of [...variantCheck.munder, ...variantCheck.mover]) {
+      expect(entry.baseVariant).toBe('normal');
+      for (const limVariant of entry.limitVariants) {
+        expect(limVariant).toBeNull();
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
   test('preserves nested <msub> inside <munder> (case 8: lim of x_i → 0)', async ({ superdoc }) => {
     await superdoc.loadDocument(LIMIT_DOC);
     await superdoc.waitForStable();