BBC GCSE Bitesize Maths: equations

Rob Kerr · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

Hi group,

I am a client-side developer at the BBC, currently tasked with
overhauling the GCSE Bitesize website. At the moment, I am trying to
decide what the best way to deliver mathematical equations on the web
would be for the users of the Bitesize site, such that they are
accessible, usable (both for the team that will be encoding them, and
the students who consume them), and useful. So I thought I would
canvass the opinions of this group.

1. How would you prefer to see equations delivered on the Bitesize
website?
2. Is there a standard method of rendering equations on the web such
that the standard browser can handle them?
2a. If yes, is that method satisfactory?
3. Would students or educators be able to handle equations marked up
in MathML, if such were offered?

Any other comments would be appreciated.

Rob Kerr
--
"It's impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making
some other Englishman despise him."
-- G.B.S., "Pygmalion"

Archived from group: uk>education>maths

William Billingsley · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

Rob Kerr wrote:

> Hi group,
>
> I am a client-side developer at the BBC, currently tasked with
> overhauling the GCSE Bitesize website. At the moment, I am trying to
> decide what the best way to deliver mathematical equations on the web
> would be for the users of the Bitesize site, such that they are
> accessible, usable (both for the team that will be encoding them, and
> the students who consume them), and useful. So I thought I would
> canvass the opinions of this group.
>
> 1. How would you prefer to see equations delivered on the Bitesize
> website?
> 2. Is there a standard method of rendering equations on the web such
> that the standard browser can handle them?
> 2a. If yes, is that method satisfactory?
> 3. Would students or educators be able to handle equations marked up
> in MathML, if such were offered?
>

1)
At the moment, I'd recommend using something like jsMath
http://www.math.union.edu/~dpvc/jsMath/
It lets your authors write the equations in LaTeX notation (or export
them to LaTeX from an editor) and lets them be seen in almost all modern
browsers without a plugin. LaTeX is still probably the most widely used
mathematical notation -- it's used for academic papers. Many equation
editors can export it, but it's also fairly easy to learn to write by
hand.

Examples of equations rendered using jsMath can be found here:
http://www.math.union.edu/~dpvc/jsMath/examples/TeXbook16.html

Technologically, jsMath is a bit of a hack (a latex parser written in
JavaScript) but seems to be the smoothest solution around -- it was
designed for use in mathematical wikis.

To solve the accessibility issue (for visually impaired users) you could
also convert the LaTeX to some other form, such as a sound file.

2) MathML was the attempt at that standard, but the browsers never really
took the time to support it properly.

3)
Last time I looked, MathML required a plugin for IE, and certain fonts to
be installed for Mozilla/Firefox. That was back in 2004 though, so
things might have improved.

This page from Hal Abelson at MIT describes the installation instructions
back in 2004 -- I don't think the BBC wants its GCSE student readers to
have to do this to in order to look at Bitesize:
http://www-swiss.ai.mit.edu/projects/intelligent-book/mathml/

Will Billingsley

Rob Kerr · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

William Billingsley wrote in
C879-44BD-A69D-795E18453E8E%wbillingsley@cantab.net:

> http://www.math.union.edu/~dpvc/jsMath/examples/TeXbook16.html

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. I may include the
MathML for future-proofing purposes, but that's the best-rendering
solution I've seen so far (without the requirement to download plugins
or extra fonts). Now to find an equation editor that will export the
LaTeX string!

Thanks again,

Rob Kerr
--
"It's impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making
some other Englishman despise him."
-- G.B.S., "Pygmalion"

Frank F. Matthews · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 60

Rob Kerr wrote:
> William Billingsley wrote in
> C879-44BD-A69D-795E18453E8E%wbillingsley@cantab.net:
>
>
>>http://www.math.union.edu/~dpvc/jsMath/examples/TeXbook16.html
>
>
> Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. I may include the
> MathML for future-proofing purposes, but that's the best-rendering
> solution I've seen so far (without the requirement to download plugins
> or extra fonts). Now to find an equation editor that will export the
> LaTeX string!
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Rob Kerr

Mathematica & (I think Maple) will output TeX.

William Billingsley · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

Rob Kerr wrote:

> William Billingsley wrote in
> C879-44BD-A69D-795E18453E8E%wbillingsley@cantab.net:
>
>> http://www.math.union.edu/~dpvc/jsMath/examples/TeXbook16.html
>
> Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. I may include the
> MathML for future-proofing purposes, but that's the best-rendering
> solution I've seen so far (without the requirement to download plugins
> or extra fonts). Now to find an equation editor that will export the
> LaTeX string!
>

Sorry, I wrote a reply to this a couple of days ago but for some reason it
didn't appear.

Here's a little list of some packages I've heard of that do the job (just
Google the names and you'll get the relevant page)

Design Sciences's MathType is probably what the BBC will be most happy
with -- it's an equation editor that I believe can export both MathML and
LaTeX. Design Sciences are the company that did the equation editor for
MS Word, so it should be familiar to your content producers. It does have
a licence cost though.

Alternatively:
BrEdiMa is a Javascript-based maths editor that can also produced LaTeX
and MathML. It's free, but is someone's research project, so don't expect
too much commercial-quality support.

The Grapher utility (that comes free with all Macs) can export LaTeX too,
but its equation editor is a bit limited.

TeXmacs is excellent for any linux users, but can also be installed on
Macs using Fink.

There are lots of tools to convert to and fro between LaTeX and MathML.

But most people just learn how to write the LaTeX string. The format is
very simple.
_ gives a subscript (i_n for the nth value of i), ^ gives a superscript
(a^2 for a squared); other commands have a backslash before them and their
arguments in curly braces afterwards: \frac{a}{b} for a divided by b.

This Wikipedia help page has all the details you're likely to need on the
available commands in LaTeX (Wikipedia can also use (La)TeX formulae in
its pages):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Formula

Play around with it in BrEdiMa, or just on a page using jsMath, and I
imagine you'd be able to learn what you need to know in an hour.

Will Billingsley
Research Associate,
Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies
University of Cambridge

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