Matplotlib: correct math font size

Question

Math text in matplotlib is rendered smaller than the regular text as show by

ax.set_xlabel(r'Variable $\alpha$')

Further details on this problem are found in Matplotlib: Change math font size.

The accepted solution was setting math font to regular font. But then variable in math mode are not italic as they should be.

I need variables in math mode and of the same size as text.

How can this be achieved and why is this not the default?

Gloam

Answer 1

I have reported this issue at https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/7778.

There I learned that this is fixed in matplotlib 2.0.

This got released and it works!

See Changes to the default style.

Gloam