[R] lower case Greek letters

[Prof Brian Ripley]

On Thu, 8 Dec 2005, Matt Pocernich wrote:

> I am having difficulties creating lower case Greek letters.
>
> For example
>
> plot(0,0, type = "n")
>
> text(-0.5,1, expression(beta) )
> text( 0.5,1, expression(alpha) )
>
> produce the upper case letters B and A.
>
> Running
>
> demo("plotmath")
> In the Symbolic Names
>
> Alpha - Omega   ! 7
> alpha - omega   Capital greek letters
>
> so I suspect it may have something to do with my system, but
> I am at a loss as to what.  Any suggestions as to what to check
> would be appreciated.
>
> I am running R version 2.1.0 on Debian Linux - version sarge.

Well, see the posting guide and follow its advice -- 2.2.1 beta is 
available so you are 3-epsilon versions out of date.

Beyond that, you have not told us your graphics device.  I suspect this is 
the X11() device and so an X11 font issue.  Try

> options("X11fonts")
$X11fonts
[1] "-adobe-helvetica-%s-%s-*-*-%d-*-*-*-*-*-*-*"
[2] "-adobe-symbol-medium-r-*-*-%d-*-*-*-*-*-*-*"

and see if xlsfonts gives you anything sensible for the second pattern, 
replacing %d by *.

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595