[OS X TeX] your wiki needs you?

[Alain Schremmer]

On Sep 18, 2008, at 7:16 PM, Robert Bruner wrote:

>
>>
>> On Sep 18, 2008, at 2:04 PM, Robert Bruner wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> True, but markup need not be very hard either and with good macros
>>>> and a flash mode, could be almost by-passed. My point is that for
>>>> "ordinary" mathematical stuff, LaTeX could be made to be as easy as
>>>> word processors.
>>>
>>> Easier.
>>
>> Interesting. How so?
>
> Try typesetting the quadratic formula in a wysiwyg:  getting good
> spacing is hard.  But in a markup language, you tell it what is  
> needed,
> viz,
> \[
> x_1, x_2 = \frac {-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}
> \]
> and it sorts out the spacing.  I always tell students to imagine  
> they're
> talking to another mathematician over the phone, and type what they  
> might
> say to describe the formulas they need.  (\frac corresponds to 'the  
> fraction
> with numerator Blah and denominator Blahblah.)

Sorry: I misunderstood you to say that LaTeX could be made to be  
easier than word processors.

Apologetic regards
--schremmer