HTML Math Overview
MathML was released as a
W3C Recommendation on the 7th April 1998.
MathML is a low-level format for
describing mathematics as a basis for machine to machine
communication. It provides a much needed solution to including
mathematical expressions in Web pages.
MathML is intended to facilitate the use and re-use of
mathematical and scientific content on the Web, and for other
applications such as computer algebra systems, print typesetters,
and voice synthesizers. MathML can be used to encode both
mathematical notation, for high-quality visual display, and
mathematical content, for more semantic applications like
scientific software, or voice synthesis.
MathML is cast as an application of XML. As such, with adequate
style sheet support, it will ultimately be possible for browsers to
natively render mathematical expressions. In the immediate future,
several vendors offer applet and plug-ins which can render MathML
in place in a browser. Translators and equation editors which can
generate HTML pages with images of the math expression from HTML
with embedded MathML code will be avilable soon.
For more information about MathML and the activities of the HTML
Math working group, consult the W3C Math
Activity Report.
Additional Working Group Information:
MathML Related Software:
- WebEQ: a
Java-based collection of tools for authoring and rendering MathML, including
a visual editor, a WebTeX to Mathml translator, and a rendering applet
for interactive math on Web pages.
- IBM
techexplorer: a technical/scientific document viewer and
renderer of MathML and LaTeX.
- MathType: an intelligent
equation editor and future authoring tool for MathML
- EzMath:
an easy to use format based on how people speak expressions. EzMath
also provides a convenient way to author MathML
- Maple: a computer algebra
system which has demonstrated import, export and evaluation of MathML content markup;
future generation and rendering of MathML
- Mathematica: a technical computing
system with high-quality mathematical typesetting and editing.
Mathematica is a visual typeset authoring tool
and both renders and exports MathML.
- Publicon is a full-featured
publishing system specially designed for
the creation of professional-quality technical documents.
It incorporates the same unique visual authoring tool for mathematical
typesetting as Mathematica. From their Web site,
"Future releases of Publicon will support
the MathML web-based math specification as well as TeX conversion."
- Amaya: W3C's browser/authoring tool for
Web pages. Amaya includes an easy to use editor for MathML
Other Related Software:
Some useful general information
about putting math on the web:
[W3C Home | HTML]
Maintained by: Rob
Miner (co-chair for the Math working group).
W3C contact for math: Dave Raggett.
$Date: 1998/04/27 08:55:38 $