RE: MathML-Presentation specs criticized.

At 18:46 2002/04/15, Jimmy Cerra wrote:

>To be a universal mathematics data format, there must be a single way to
>encode the meaning of the equation while also allowing for multiple
>layouts.  Paradoxically, the layout is part of the content, so the
>presentation language should allow multiple layouts of the same code.
>
>(Here's a good (I hope) example.  Visual rendering agents might style an
>mfrac element as two rows separated by a bar.  However, a blind person's
>audio rendering agent might style the mfrac element by saying the
>(insert natural language here) translation of the numerator + "over" +
>the denominator.  The blind person would be confused if it was rendered
>as the numerator + "1 pixel solid bar" + denominator.)

You probably already know this, but there exists at least one document (I 
believe it's the Handbook of Spoken Mathematics, sometimes informally 
referred to as "Larry's Speakeasy") that describes a standard way of 
reading mathematical expressions in an unambiguous manner. The Handbook is 
routinely used by organizations such as Recording for the Blind and 
Dyslexic that translate written textbooks into spoken language. I don't 
have a copy of this useful publication with me, but can give reference and 
publication data (offline) to anyone that is interested, given some time to 
locate it. This should be helpful to anyone considering writing an audio 
rendering agent for mathematics, or a mathematics add-on to an existing 
HTML audio rendering agent.

Received on Tuesday, 16 April 2002 01:56:48 UTC