Markdown has become an indispensable tool for writers and developers to format content for the web. Its simplicity allows users to convert plain text into HTML without learning HTML syntax. One incredibly useful Markdown feature is its math typesetting capability. However, Markdown math can seem daunting to someone encountering it for the first time. This comprehensive guide aims to demystify Markdown math by explaining the basics of how it works and showing step-by-step examples of practical applications.
Markdown Math Basics
Under the hood, Markdown relies on the LaTeX math typesetting system to handle math formatting. LaTeX is the standard format for writing mathematics, science, and engineering papers. It can create beautifully typeset math expressions ranging from simple superscripts and fractions to complex mathematical formulae.
Markdown math uses a subset of LaTeX functionality to allow inserting math into Markdown documents. There are two main types of Markdown math syntax:
Inline Math
To typeset math inline with text, enclose the math expression with dollar signs $...$. For example:
This expression $ax^2 + bx + c = 0$ is a quadratic equation. Renders as:
This expression $ax^2 + bx + c = 0$ is a quadratic equation.
Display Math
For math expressions on their own line, surround them with double dollar signs:
$$x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}$$Renders as:
$$x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 – 4ac}}{2a}$$
Display math is useful for bigger formulas that need to stand out from the text.
Math Operators and Formatting
Markdown math supports most of the basic LaTeX mathematical operators and formatting like subscripts, fractions, square roots etc. Here are some common examples:
Exponents and Subscripts
$x^2$
$x_1$Renders as:
$x^2$
$x_1$
Fractions
$\frac{1}{2}$Renders as:
$\frac{1}{2}$
Square Roots
$\sqrt{x}$Renders as:
$\sqrt{x}$
Summations and Integrals
$\sum_{i=0}^{10} f(i)$
$\int_{a}^{b} x^2 dx$ Renders as:
$\sum{i=0}^{10} f(i)$
$\int{a}^{b} x^2 dx$
And many more advanced operators. Most LaTeX math formats are supported in Markdown.
Multiline Equations
Long equations that wrap over multiple lines can be formatted neatly using double backslashes:
$$f(x) = x^2 + 3x + 2 + \\
2x + 5$$Renders as:
$$f(x) = x^2 + 3x + 2 + \
2x + 5$$
This helps improve readability for complex formulas.
Math in Brackets and Parentheses
Bracketed math expressions can be typed inside the math delimiters without using actual brackets:
$ ( x^2 ) $
$ [ \frac{1}{2} ] $ Which gets displayed as:
$ ( x^2 ) $
$ [ \frac{1}{2} ] $
The brackets get added automatically. This helps reduce typing effort.
Adding Text in Math Expressions
To insert text like variable names inside math, enclose them with \text{}:
$\sqrt{\text{distance}}$Renders as:
$\sqrt{\text{distance}}$
By default, Markdown tries to interpret everything inside math delimiters as math syntax. The \text{} override forces specific pieces to be plain text instead.
Line Breaks and Centering Math Blocks
For extra spacing, forced line breaks can be added in display math using \\:
$$x = 3\\
y = 2\\
z = 4$$Renders as:
$$x = 3\
y = 2\
z = 4$$
Display math can also be centered with:
$$\begin{center}
x^2 + y^2 = r^2
\end{center}$$Rendered output:
$$\begin{center}
x^2 + y^2 = r^2
\end{center}$$
Centered formulas can help highlight important mathematical concepts.
Math in Tables and Other Elements
Math works seamlessly even inside other Markdown elements like tables and lists:
| Formula | Description |
|---|---|
| $\sqrt{a^2 + b^2}$ | Pythagoras theorem |
| $x = \dfrac{-b \pm \sqrt{\Delta}}{2a}$ | Quadratic formula |
- Quadratic formula: $x = \dfrac{-b \pm \sqrt{\Delta}}{2a}$
- Area of circle: $A = \pi r^2$
This flexibility allows inserting math anywhere needed in the document without restrictions.
Common Gotchas and Debugging Tips
While Markdown math is designed to be intuitive, users can make some easy mistakes that lead to typesetting errors:
- Spaces around math delimiters: No spaces should be added next to the $/$ characters, or the math expression won‘t render properly.
- Unsupported LaTeX commands: Since Markdown only supports a subset of LaTeX, some advanced LaTeX functionality may not work.
- Wrong dollar signs: Using single $ signs around multi-line display math will break the rendering. Always use double $$ for equations spanning multiple lines.
- Mismatched delimiters: Make sure inline math has both opening and closing $ signs. Unmatched delimiters can cause problems.
When math isn‘t rendering correctly, go through these common issues first when debugging. Explicit math delimiters make locating errors easier compared to LaTeX math environments.
Conclusion
Markdown has greatly simplified adding math support to plain text documents. Its pared down syntax lowers the learning curve for non-technical users while still supporting mathematically intensive technical writing. Whether you need occasional math notations like subscripts and fractions or advanced multi-line formulas with summations and integrals, Markdown math has you covered.
With this guide providing you the fundamentals and plenty of examples, you should feel more confident to incorporate math in your own Markdown documents. Inserting properly formatted mathematical expressions is now as easy as delimiting them with $ characters! The possibilities are endless for combining the readability of Markdown with the mathematical prowess of LaTeX typesetting.