tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5621584.post116711061090660794..comments2010-07-13T11:06:10.267+10:00Comments on Desultoration: Web + Mathematics = ???Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5621584.post-55723749291197405712006-12-28T02:48:00.000+11:002006-12-28T02:48:00.000+11:00I personally give more importance to make tools th...I personally give more importance to make tools that directly deal with MathML than a temporary plugin to generate image of formulae. Nevertheless, I think such a plugin already exists.<br /><br />Note that I did not know anything about Amaya but thanks to the other programmers, I have been able to make new mathematical constructions. So you see, you don't need to be a specialist to participate to the development of new MathML tools.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5621584.post-89463261864790283082006-12-28T00:10:00.000+11:002006-12-28T00:10:00.000+11:00I am not here. I am on holidays. However, for what...I am not here. I am on holidays. However, for what it's worth, is there any such tools or plugins you want me to include in the Mac (or Windows) drive images for the new year?Nathan Zamprognohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18292757767183001630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5621584.post-3432825900059743092006-12-27T22:06:00.000+11:002006-12-27T22:06:00.000+11:00Fair points, layout and printing especially. Don't...Fair points, layout and printing especially. Don't get me wrong, I think the markup language approach makes a lot of sense, but the lack of tools is a major hurdle. Not being able to select an equation in the browser window, capture it and work with it (as you can with text and images) stymies the take-up of MathML.<br />The idea of images with embedded MathML or LaTeX is to take what usually happens now with Maths in web pages (plain GIFs or JPEGs) at least a step towards using MathML. Maybe someone would develop a plugin/method for FireFox so it would display the MathML instead of the image, but IE could at least show the image. These are just ideas -- if I were a better programmer, I'd do it myself, but I 'm not the man for the job; but if I keep throwing ideas and suggestions "out there", it might at least prompt somebody with the necessary skills to create something we can all benefit from. (Or am I being overly optimistic?)Bdidihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5621584.post-48128335191369597632006-12-27T21:32:00.000+11:002006-12-27T21:32:00.000+11:00I disagree with your idea to use images. Coding fo...I disagree with your idea to use images. Coding formulae in MathML have severals advantages : you can zoom, easily copy and paste subexpressions, get a good layout in your browser and a good printing quality. I know there is a great lack of tools, but I don't think it is a reason to let it down.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5621584.post-9017073510888737252006-12-27T20:18:00.000+11:002006-12-27T20:18:00.000+11:00Thanks for replying, Paul.
Actually, I did mention...Thanks for replying, Paul.<br />Actually, I did mention MathPlayer in mu post, and it works really well, and thank goodness someone actually did something so MathML could be seen in IE, but my point is that the current situation <i>as a whole</i> is just too clunky - displaying equations is only half the picture (no pun intended); students also need tools to let them generate their own equations and/or manipulate the ones their teachers create and post online. And those tools should meet the criteria I spelled out before: cross-platform, easy to use, and free. Working with equations online should be as easy as working with text online. Until that's the case, web+maths=frustration.Bdidihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5621584.post-64115039662578241612006-12-27T18:14:00.000+11:002006-12-27T18:14:00.000+11:00Our FREE MathPlayer plugin for Internet Explorer p...Our FREE MathPlayer plugin for Internet Explorer provides great MathML support. Go to www.dessci.com/mathplayer.<br /><br />Paul Topping<br />Design Science, Inc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5621584.post-54834630117832192392006-12-27T13:44:00.000+11:002006-12-27T13:44:00.000+11:00Thanks for the comment, Frédéric!
Are people likel...Thanks for the comment, Frédéric!<br />Are people likely to discover MathML and <i>recognise it for what it is</i>? Given that most of the equations you see at present on the web are <i>pictures</i>, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people on seeing MathML assume that it is just another image. That's <i>if</i> they see it - since Microsoft has seen fit to not add MathML support to IE7, I don't expect many people to see MathML in any case. Unless the tools for seeing and working with MathML are readily accessible, it's an up-hill battle. <br />Also, an image has some advantages - you can easily save an image, but you can't select a MathML equation in your browser and copy and paste it somewhere else. Students will find this frustrating. The more I think about it, the more I gravitate to the idea of an image with either MathML or LaTeX embedded in it.<br />Thanks for mentioning the search facility at MathWeb - I'd seen it once before, but didn't take a lot of notice at the time.Bdidihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5621584.post-1167174215218723052006-12-27T10:03:00.000+11:002006-12-27T10:03:00.000+11:00(a) More and more people use Firefox and are likel...(a) More and more people use Firefox and are likely to discover MathML. This growth of Firefox has already made Microsoft react and produce a new version of Internet Explorer. I hope it would be the same for MathML.<BR/><BR/>(b) I also had this will some years ago and finally I decided to contribute to th development of Amaya that respects the three points you mentionned and espacially is "free" in the two senses of the term. I plane to improve the MathML interface again, but some of my work are already present in the last version.<BR/><BR/>Another interesting thing you forgot about MathML : http://search.mathweb.org/ but of course... I didn't mention it !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com