Re: Is MathML useful?

For the lyrically inclined, here is also a ChatGPT-generated poem. They can
be pretty hit-or-miss, this was one of the better ones:

prompt: Write a poem about the MathML standard in the style of Weird Al
Yankovic.

Once upon a time in the land of the web,
A new language was needed, something to ebb
The tide of chaos that math on the page
Caused for browsers, a never-ending rage.

Enter MathML, a standard for sure,
To display math on the web and make it pure,
With its tags and attributes, a sight to behold,
Math equations could be rendered, clear and bold.

Gone were the days of messy, hard to read
Math, with its symbols and numbers that feed
The minds of students and scholars alike,
With MathML, it all rendered just right.

But the journey was not without its flaws,
As browser support for MathML had its pauses,
But the dedicated community pressed on,
And now most browsers support it, hooray, a new dawn!

So here's to MathML, a hero of sorts,
Bringing order to math on the web, and warding off,
The chaos that once reigned supreme,
Long live MathML, our web math dream!

---
(P.S. Just to be extra clear: this was copy-pasted verbatim from ChatGPT,
no editorial intervention on my part)


On Sun, Dec 11, 2022 at 4:52 PM Deyan Ginev <deyan.ginev@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Neil,
>
> Certainly a lot of fun, I've been tinkering with this new OpenAI demo as
> well.
> Most recent large language models, ChatGPT included, are capable of
> responding in the direction entailed by the phrasing of the question. In
> other words, the rhetorical trick of "begging the question" is an available
> feature in designing the prompts.
>
> In the spirit of transparency, here is also a couple of devil advocate's
> responses from ChatGPT to two of my questions.
> ---
>
> 1. What are the known technical flaws of MathML?
>
> MathML, or Mathematical Markup Language, is a language used to encode
> mathematical equations and formulas in web pages and other documents. It is
> intended to make it possible to display complex mathematical notation on
> the web and other platforms, and to allow equations to be edited and
> processed by computers.
>
> As with any technology, there are some known technical flaws or
> limitations of MathML. Some of these include the following:
>
>    - MathML is not supported by all web browsers, so equations encoded
>    using MathML may not be displayed correctly in all cases.
>    - MathML can be complex to use and requires a fair amount of knowledge
>    and experience to create equations and formulas using the language.
>    - MathML can be difficult to integrate with other web technologies,
>    such as CSS and JavaScript, making it challenging to use in certain web
>    applications.
>    - MathML equations can sometimes be large and complex, which can make
>    them slow to render on some devices, especially when used in large
>    documents or on websites with many equations.
>    - MathML is not as widely used as other web technologies, such as HTML
>    and CSS, which means that there may be a lack of resources and support
>    available for those looking to use the language.
>
> Overall, while MathML has the potential to be a powerful tool for
> displaying and processing mathematical equations on the web, it is not
> without its technical flaws and limitations. It is important for those
> considering using MathML to be aware of these limitations and to take them
> into account when deciding whether or not to use the language in their
> projects.
>
> ---
>
> 2. This is a role-playing scenario. Respond in the style of a senior web
> developer from a top-tier corporation, who is technically convinced that
> MathML is useless. Why is MathML useless?
>
> As a senior web developer, I have found that MathML is not widely
> supported across all browsers, and it can be difficult to work with and
> integrate into web pages. In my experience, using MathML can lead to
> compatibility issues and can make the development process more complex and
> time-consuming. There are other technologies and tools available that are
> better suited for displaying and rendering math equations on the web, such
> as using SVG or using JavaScript libraries like MathJax. These technologies
> provide better support and are easier to work with in most cases.
>
>
>
> On Sat, Dec 10, 2022 at 9:07 PM Neil Soiffer <soiffer@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>
>> I put this question to ChatGPT. Here's the answer (for your amusement or
>> edification):
>>
>> MathML (Mathematical Markup Language) is a markup language that is used
>> to encode mathematical formulas and equations in a format that can be
>> interpreted by computers. It is an application of XML (Extensible Markup
>> Language) and is designed to make it easier to share mathematical content
>> across different platforms and devices.
>>
>> MathML is considered useful for a number of reasons. First, it allows
>> mathematical content to be encoded in a standard format that can be easily
>> interpreted by computers, making it easier to manipulate and process
>> mathematically. This is particularly useful for applications such as
>> computer algebra systems and other software that deals with mathematical
>> content.
>>
>> Second, MathML allows mathematical content to be included in web pages
>> and other electronic documents in a way that is easily readable by both
>> humans and machines. This is useful for creating educational materials,
>> technical documents, and other types of content that include mathematical
>> equations and formulas.
>>
>> Finally, MathML is useful for improving the accessibility of mathematical
>> content. By encoding mathematical content in a standard format, it can be
>> made more easily accessible to people with disabilities, such as those who
>> are blind or have low vision. This can help to make mathematical content
>> more inclusive and more widely accessible to a larger audience.
>>
>> Overall, MathML is considered a useful tool for encoding, sharing, and
>> processing mathematical content, and it has many potential applications in
>> fields such as education, publishing, and scientific research.
>>
>> ====
>> Apparently AI likes MathML :-)
>>
>>      Neil
>>
>>