U+2211 · Math symbol
HTML entity
∑
LaTeX
\sum
N-Ary Summation Symbol ∑
∑ is n-ary summation. Write it in HTML as ∑ or paste the character directly. It was added in Unicode 1.1, and Unicode files it under Math symbol.
Also known as
- summation sign
Codes & technical data
| Unicode | U+2211 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ∑ | |
| HTML decimal | ∑ | |
| CSS | \2211 | |
| JavaScript | \u{2211} | |
| Python | \U00002211 | |
| Java / C# | \u2211 | |
| Rust | \u{2211} | |
| Swift | \u{2211} | |
| PHP | \u{2211} | |
| URL encoded | %E2%88%91 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 88 91 | |
| UTF-16 bytes | 2211 | |
| Base64 | 4oiR | |
| Decimal | 8721 | |
| HTML entity | ∑ | |
| LaTeX | \sum | |
| Category | Math symbol (Sm) | |
| Introduced | Unicode 1.1 | |
Will ∑ survive being pasted?
- Normalisation. Yes. ∑ is unchanged by NFKC, so it survives normalising systems intact.
- Legacy encodings. ∑ is Unicode-only — it has no Latin-1 equivalent, so a system stuck on an 8-bit encoding cannot represent it.
- Size. 3 bytes in UTF-8. Character-limited fields — SMS, bios, some form validators — usually count bytes, not characters.
Unicode cross-references
The standard points readers of ∑ at these characters — usually because they look alike, or because one is the correct choice where the other is often used by mistake.
Nearby in Mathematical Operators
The operators mathematics and programming share — set theory, logic, calculus, comparison. Almost every character here has a LaTeX command, which is usually the fastest way to name the one you mean.
How to type ∑
| Windows | Type 2211 then press Alt+X |
|---|---|
| macOS | Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, then search for “n-ary summation” |
| Linux | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2211, press Enter |
| HTML | ∑ |
About Unicode’s Math symbol category
Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I type the ∑ n-ary summation symbol?
- On Windows, type 2211 and press Alt+X. On Linux press Ctrl+Shift+U then 2211. On any system the quickest route is the copy button on this page.
- What is the code for ∑?
- N-Ary Summation is U+2211, written in HTML as ∑ and in LaTeX as \sum. In UTF-8 it takes 3 bytes. The table above lists every escape format.
- What kind of character is ∑?
- N-Ary Summation is filed under Math symbol in the Mathematical Operators block, and was introduced in Unicode 1.1. Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.