A Guide to Mathematical Formulas in Markdown

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Markdown is a lightweight markup language widely used for writing documents and creating web content. Although Markdown itself does not natively support mathematical formulas, by integrating third-party tools and extensions such as MathJax and KaTeX, we can easily insert and display mathematical formulas in Markdown documents.

Why Use Mathematical Formulas in Markdown?

Mathematical formulas are common in academic writing, technical documentation, and scientific research. Supporting mathematical formulas in Markdown enhances the readability and professionalism of documents, allowing authors to express complex mathematical concepts and formulas more intuitively.

Inserting Mathematical Formulas with MathJax

MathJax is a powerful JavaScript library that renders mathematical formulas on web pages. Here are the steps to use MathJax in Markdown:

1. Include the MathJax Library: Add the following code at the top of your Markdown document to include the MathJax library.

   <script type="text/javascript" id="MathJax-script" async
     src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/mathjax@3/es5/tex-mml-chtml.js">
   </script>
   

2. Insert Mathematical Formulas: In your Markdown document, use LaTeX syntax to insert mathematical formulas. MathJax supports two common formats for mathematical formulas: inline formulas and block-level formulas.

   • Inline Formulas: Use $...$ to wrap the formula.

     This is an inline formula: $E=mc^2$.
     

   • Block-Level Formulas: Use $$...$$ to wrap the formula.

     This is a block-level formula:
     $$
     \int_{a}^{b} f(x) \,dx
     $$
     

Inserting Mathematical Formulas with KaTeX

KaTeX is another popular JavaScript library focused on fast rendering of mathematical formulas. Here are the steps to use KaTeX in Markdown:

1. Include the KaTeX Library: Add the following code at the top of your Markdown document to include the KaTeX library.

   <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/katex@0.13.18/dist/katex.min.css" integrity="sha384-...">
   <script defer src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/katex@0.13.18/dist/katex.min.js" integrity="sha384-..."></script>
   <script defer src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/katex@0.13.18/dist/contrib/auto-render.min.js" integrity="sha384-..." onload="renderMathInElement(document.body);"></script>
   

2. Insert Mathematical Formulas: Similar to MathJax, use LaTeX syntax to insert mathematical formulas.

   • Inline Formulas: Use $...$ to wrap the formula.

     This is an inline formula: $E=mc^2$.
     

   • Block-Level Formulas: Use $$...$$ to wrap the formula.

     This is a block-level formula:
     $$
     \int_{a}^{b} f(x) \,dx
     $$
     

Common Mathematical Formula Examples

Here are some common mathematical formula examples showing how to insert formulas using LaTeX syntax in Markdown:

• Quadratic Equation:

  $$
  ax^2 + bx + c = 0
  $$
  

• Pythagorean Theorem:

  $$
  a^2 + b^2 = c^2
  $$
  

• Calculus:

  $$
  \frac{d}{dx} \int_{a}^{x} f(t) \,dt = f(x)
  $$
  

Conclusion

By integrating MathJax or KaTeX, we can easily insert and display mathematical formulas in Markdown documents. This not only enhances the readability and professionalism of documents but also allows authors to express complex mathematical concepts and formulas more intuitively. Whether for academic writing, technical documentation, or scientific research, the support for mathematical formulas in Markdown is a powerful tool.