Help:Create a mathematical formula

General info

Folmulas are created by using the markup-language LaTeX, a powerful commonly used language in scientific documents.

As a user, the only thing you need to do is wrap your LaTeX formula within a <math>(formula)</math> tag.

For example:

<math>f(x) = \fract{1}{\alpha^2}</math>

Produces the following formula:

$f(x) = \frac{1}{\alpha^2}$

How do I use LaTeX

There is really no need to write a long list of commands in this (local) wiki - mediawiki.org has a nice reference manual.

If you have some experience in mathematical expressions or programming, it will be a quick learn. It's all ablut grouping and marking up symbols.

You can also look at the examples below for some nice examples.

Examples

<math>\sum_{m=1}^\infty\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{m^2\,n}
 {3^m\left(m\,3^n+n\,3^m\right)}</math>

Gives

$\sum_{m=1}^\infty\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{m^2\,n} <pre>{3^m\left(m\,3^n+n\,3^m\right)}$

<math>\phi_n(\kappa) =
 \frac{1}{4\pi^2\kappa^2} \int_0^\infty
 \frac{\sin(\kappa R)}{\kappa R}
 \frac{\partial}{\partial R}
 \left[R^2\frac{\partial D_n(R)}{\partial R}\right]\,dR</math>

gives

$\phi_n(\kappa) = <pre>\frac{1}{4\pi^2\kappa^2} \int_0^\infty \frac{\sin(\kappa R)}{\kappa R} \frac{\partial}{\partial R} \left[R^2\frac{\partial D_n(R)}{\partial R}\right]\,dR$

<math>
 f(x) =
 \begin{cases}
 1 & -1 \le x < 0 \\
 \frac{1}{2} & x = 0 \\
 1 - x^2 & \mbox{otherwise}
 \end{cases}
 </math>

Gives:

$ <pre>f(x) = \begin{cases} 1 & -1 \le x < 0 \\ \frac{1}{2} & x = 0 \\ 1 - x^2 & \mbox{otherwise} \end{cases}$

$\begin{alignat}{2} <pre>f(x) & = (a-b)^2 \\ & = a^2-2ab+b^2 \\ </pre> \end{alignat}$

FAQ

How does it work?

MediaWiki produces images for each formula you type. If and when you change the formula, a new image is created, and the page referres to the new image.

Will the server be cluttered with images?

Yes and no. There will infact be lots of images, but these images lies in a dedicated folder and are relatively small - ranging between <1k to 10k.

Isn't there any nice graphical interface to LaTeX?

Some GUI-based programs does exist, but for now you will have to find them yourself. I would suggest you start at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTeX#External_links