AsciiMath Editor
Write and preview AsciiMath locally with native notation menus, exact source downloads, complete token and conversion checks, and supported MathML and LaTeX handoffs.{{ latexSource || latexProjection.issues.join(' ') || 'LaTeX is unavailable until the current expression produces structured MathML.' }}{{ mathmlSource || 'MathML is unavailable until the expression renders.' }}| Check | State | Review before handoff | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| {{ row.check }} | {{ row.state }} | {{ row.review }} |
AsciiMath expresses mathematical structure with ordinary keyboard characters. Fractions use a slash, powers and subscripts use ^ and _, and familiar names such as sqrt, sum, or alpha stand for mathematical operators and symbols. It is useful when writing full LaTeX commands would interrupt the flow of a note, lesson, message, or draft.
| Intent | AsciiMath | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Fraction | a/(b+c) | a over the grouped denominator b + c |
| Square root | sqrt(x) | Square root of x |
| Power | x^2 | x squared |
| Subscript | x_i | x with subscript i |
| Summation limits | sum_(i=1)^n i | Sum i from 1 through n |
| Matrix | [(a,b),(c,d)] | A two-by-two matrix |
Compact notation still depends on grouping. Parentheses around a denominator or function argument can change the rendered expression, and an unmatched bracket can make the intended structure ambiguous. A successful render shows how one parser understood the source; it does not prove the equation is mathematically correct.
Rendered math, MathML, and LaTeX serve different destinations. A visual preview is useful for proofreading, MathML preserves structured mathematical markup, and a generated LaTeX draft can help move common structures into a TeX workflow. Conversion between notations is not perfectly reversible, so the original AsciiMath remains the reference for later edits.
How to Use This Tool:
Write one expression, choose how it will sit in surrounding content, and compare the source with the rendered structure.
- Type or paste AsciiMath source, insert a common structure, or load one
.am,.asciimath, or text file up to 100 KB. Source is limited to 12,000 characters. The named menus and configurable Matrix control insert native notation with Undo/Redo; Copy source and Download source preserve the original text. - Choose Display or Inline. Display centers a standalone equation; Inline sizes it for surrounding prose. Preview scale changes only the on-page review size.
- Compare the rendered equation with the source. Check fractions, roots, scripts, limits, matrices, and spacing rather than relying only on a ready status.
- Review the conversion ledger before reusing MathML or the LaTeX draft. Repair an unmatched delimiter or quoted string if Grouping reports Review.
Interpreting Results:
- Rendered means the current source produced synchronized visual and structured outputs. It is not a check of algebra, units, or proof logic.
- Balanced means parentheses, square brackets, braces, and quoted text passed a lexical stack check. It does not confirm every token is supported or used as intended.
- Token counts cover recognized functions, Greek names, large operators, relations, accents, and operator symbols. Ordinary variable names and numbers may not appear in that profile.
- Test generated MathML and the LaTeX draft in the receiving editor, browser, or publishing system before discarding the original source.
Technical Details:
AsciiMath parsing turns a linear character sequence into a mathematical tree. Grouping marks determine which tokens become a numerator, denominator, exponent, subscript, function argument, or matrix cell. Display style changes layout but not the parsed source, conversion results, or lexical profile.
Transformation Core:
The visual and text artifacts share the same normalized AsciiMath source, then diverge according to their destination.
| Path | Intermediate form | Result | Review boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preview | Parsed mathematical tree | SVG equation | Visual agreement with the intended grouping |
| MathML | Parsed mathematical tree | Serialized MathML | Compatibility and accessibility in the receiving system |
| LaTeX draft | Serialized MathML | Common LaTeX structures | Macros, fences, spacing, and unsupported MathML constructs |
| Token profile | Lexical scan of the original source | Counts by recognized family | Counts describe notation use, not mathematical validity |
The LaTeX draft maps common MathML nodes including fractions, square and indexed roots, superscripts, subscripts, under/over scripts, basic fenced expressions, matrices, text, selected Greek letters, and common operators. Unsupported structure or styling makes the LaTeX projection unavailable, with a reason and disabled handoff controls. The original AsciiMath, rendered equation and MathML remain available for review.
Rule Core:
The delimiter check scans the normalized source from left to right. It pushes (, [, and { onto a stack, requires each closing mark to match the most recent opening mark, and ignores delimiters inside paired double quotes. An unclosed quote, mismatched closing mark, or remaining opening mark returns Review.
| Family | Representative tokens | What the count means |
|---|---|---|
| Functions | sqrt, sin, log, text | Recognized named functions |
| Greek | alpha, theta, omega | Recognized Greek symbol names |
| Large operators | sum, prod, int, lim | Recognized large-operator names |
| Relations | =, <=, !=, in | Named or symbolic relations |
| Accents | hat, vec, cancel | Recognized accent names |
| Operators | +, -, *, /, ^, _ | Recognized operator symbols not classed as relations |
The lexical audit and renderer use normalized line endings and trimmed outer whitespace. The editor, imported files and native-source handoffs retain the authored whitespace. Preview scale accepts 100%, 125%, or 150%; it does not change the source, MathML, LaTeX draft, token counts, or downloaded SVG geometry.
Limitations and Privacy Notes:
Editing, lexical checks, file reading, and conversion outputs stay in the current browser. Rendering depends on the math renderer loading successfully, so a network or script-loading failure can leave conversions unavailable without changing the source.
- The delimiter scan is intentionally lexical and does not diagnose every AsciiMath syntax error.
- The LaTeX result is a bounded draft derived from MathML, not a lossless round trip or a complete TeX document.
- Rendered agreement should be checked at the target display style because inline and block layouts can place large-operator limits differently.
Worked Examples:
Summation identity
sum_(i=1)^n i = n(n+1)/2 produces a display equation with a lower limit, upper limit, grouped product, and fraction. Its delimiter check passes, while the token profile reports seven recognized tokens across six distinct symbols or names. The preview still needs a human check that the bounds and denominator match the intended identity.
References:
- AsciiMath notation and syntax, AsciiMath project.
- AsciiMath Support, MathJax 3.2 documentation.
- MathML Support, MathJax 3.2 documentation.