[R] plotmath "overstrikes" in output on a Linux system

[Paul Johnson]

I've been testing plotmath.  But I'm getting some funny output one one
computer. The problem is that characters are 'jumbled' and overstrike
when symbols are introduced.

Sample code:

mu <- 440.0
sigma <- 12.5
myx <- seq( mu - 4*sigma,  mu+ 4*sigma, length.out=500)
myDensity <- dnorm(myx,mean=mu,sd=sigma)

# Here's one way to retrieve the values of mu and sigma and insert
them into an expression
t1t2 <- bquote (paste("Normal(", mu== .(mu), ',', sigma== .(sigma),")") )

plot(myx, myDensity, type="l", xlab="X", ylab="Probability Density ", main=t1t2)


I have tested this code and it works on two desktop Fedora Linux 8
systems to make a nice figure, but on a Dell Laptop with Fedora Linux
8 and R 2.6.2, something funny happens: the characters "overstrike"
each other.  The Greek letter "mu" is printed several spaces to the
left of the "(" that it is supposed to follow.  I made an itty  bitty
picture of the figure title to show you:

http://pj.freefaculty.org/R/plotmath_problem.png

I can force in spaces to re-arrange the symbols so they do not
overstrike. The following looks fine in the output.


t1t2 <- bquote (paste("Normal (   ", mu== .(mu), '  ,  ', sigma==
.(sigma)," )") )
### Note spaces manually inserted above are needed, otherwise plotmath
overlaps "l" of

plot(myx, myDensity, type="l", xlab="X", ylab="Probability Density ", main=t1t2)


What do you suppose is wrong? The X configuration?


-- 
Paul E. Johnson
Professor, Political Science
1541 Lilac Lane, Room 504
University of Kansas