Re: Formal query about WG role and MathML-FAQ

William F Hammond said:

<juanrgonzaleza@canonicalscience.com> writes in part:
>
> :     <doc>
> :     <para>Next is TeX </para>
> :     <TeX>1 \over {x+1}^2</TeX>
> :     <para>This is other text
> :     <br/>
> :     This is other text </para>
> :     </doc>
>
> I would not recommend mixing TeX and SGML.
>

Yes, I agree with you, the mixing is not good, but some authors here
recommended me the use of some variant of TeX into XML markup as viable
alternative to XML mixed markup. I do not agree and above was just an
example, only that, I am not taking that way as can be seen in Canonical
Science Today.

> One can go this way:
>
>    \begin{document}
>
>    Next is math
>    \math{\frac{1}{(x+1)^2}}
>
>    This is other text
>    \\
>    This is other text
>    \end{document}
>

I rejected the use of TeX/LaTeX by several motives listed in the website I
cited.

> or this way, which is equivalent XML:
>
>    <document>
>     <par>
>     Next is math
>      <math>
>       <frac><numr>1</numr><denm>(x<plus/>1)<pow>2</pow></denm></frac>
>      </math>
>     </par>
>     <par>This is other text<brk>
>      This is other text
>     </par>
>    </document>
>

This is an interesting approach; the markup for fractions looks close to
ISO 12083 and to XML-MAIDEN markup.

I am aware of your use of infix notation and am glad to see things as

<tag>(x<plus/>1)</tag>

with tree structure does not very different from some of my proposals.

The use of an HTML-like notation

<pow>2</pow>

for powers (instead of the strange MathML msup surrounding *both* base and
"power") is basically the same I are using, except by my emphasis on pure
infix notation basis<power/>power for easing the input.

Probably markup as your or that from George Chavchanidze is better I am
proposing for the *storing* of mathematical data into documents. My
emphasis was in an input syntax was automatically translated to content or
presentation MathML (or to XML-MAIDEN or to your own approach) for
satisfactory storing, display, CSS direct manipulation, etc.

As I explained to George, markup like

<math>
<frac><numr>1</numr><denm>(x<plus/>1)<pow>2</pow></denm></frac>
</math>

or similar is still hard to be introduced by hand when compared with
proposal (or similar since I am still in a research stage)

<math>
<_>1<fraction/><_>x<plus/>1</_><pow/>2</_>
</math>

> There are extant authoring systems for MathML some of which support
> these approaches.  See
> http://www.w3.org/Math/Software/mathml_software_cat_authoring.html
> (plus several new ones not listed there: Hermes, LaTeXML -- both of
> which have links at
> http://www.dessci.com/en/company/training/jmm/2006/mathmlapps/\
> converting-tex.htm ['\' used for line continuation] -- and blahtex,
> maybe others.
>
>                                     -- Bill
>

Juan R.

Center for CANONICAL |SCIENCE)

Received on Wednesday, 15 March 2006 11:48:42 UTC