LaTeX

The easy way to stick mathematical equations into documents would probably be to use Microsoft’s Equation Editor in Word. But that makes it difficult to transfer things from one computer to another, especially if someone does not have MS Word. I prefer to use LaTeX. It’s free, open-source and usually pretty easy to set up on a server. It enables me to put equations inline on the class wiki and now, thanks to the Easy LaTeX plugin I can have them on the blog too.

I’ve been wanting to do this especially since doing the jam algebra post. Then I was lucky that I could, just barely, do everything with text. Now, however, instead of:

(7) 0.4 s / 0.4 = 0.6 j / 0.4

I can do this:
(7)

Which has it’s pluses and minuses. However, before I would not have been able to do this (at least not very easily):

Using the LaTeX math markup is not exactly trivial (if you put your cursor over the equation you can see it), but Kocbach (date unknown) and Downes (2002) are great resources.