Use LaTeX (https://www.latex-project.org/) if you want to write mathematical formulas (simple or complicated).
- You can add formulas using the Text editor from the resource Lesson
In all test questions highlighted below and in the answers of a Multiple Choice question and in the terms to be combine by a Combine pairs:
To write a mathematical formula with LaTeX, you need two things:
- First of all, use a precise delimiter to indicate that you want to write a formula
- Write the formula inside the delimiters, with appropriate commands
The delimiters by LaTeX
Delimiters behave like parentheses: everything inside them will be interpreted as a command and transformed into a formula. The delimiters you can use on WeSchool to indicate a mathematical formula are two:
- the dollar ($... $)
- the double dollar ($$... $$)
For example, writing $ x + y $ we will get:
What is the difference between the dollar and the double dollar? The dollar puts the formula in line with the text, while the double dollar places it in the center of the page.
LaTeX commands
To write a mathematical formula we can type it normally: some symbols (such as +, - and =, the letters of the alphabet and others) do not need a particular command to be entered. In practice, with LaTeX we can write a literal expression without worrying. Many other components of a mathematical formula, such as an exponent or a fraction, must be entered via a command. Below is a list of the most frequently used commands and an example of how to use them on WeSchool.
Exponents and subscripts
An exponent is obtained with the caret character ^, a subscript with the underscore character _. If what we have to put in the exponent or subscript is longer than a single character, we need to put it in braces. For example:
Multiplications and fractions
The multiplication symbol is obtained with the \ times command for a “for” symbol or with \ cdot for a dot. A fraction, on the other hand, is written using the \ frac {N} {D} command, where for N we will have the numerator and for D the denominator; of course, the numerator and denominator can themselves be complicated expressions. For example:
Roots
The square roots are indicated with the command \ sqrt {R}, where R is the radicand. If you want to indicate a root of a particular order, other than 2, the command is \ sqrt [n] {R} instead, with n the chosen index. For example:
The amount of symbols and commands that can be used with LaTeX is enormous. A list of the most used symbols can be found at this address. To check if the formula you wrote in LaTeX is correct, you can conveniently use this tool.