Any free equation editor?

1. Apr 12, 2007

Mag|cK

2. Apr 12, 2007

matt grime

Just write in LaTeX and forget word entirely. The results are so much better.

www.ctan.org

3. Apr 12, 2007

Edgardo

Hello Mag|cK,

An easy to follow instruction on how to install Latex on Windows can

for a bugfix.

Instead of "TexnicCenter", you can also use WinEdt as
Latex editor.

After installing the MikTex and TexnicCenter (or WinEdt),
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~dwilkins/LaTeXPrimer/

Last edited by a moderator: May 2, 2017
4. Apr 12, 2007

matt grime

All you need to create LaTeX is the LaTeX installation and a *good* text editor. That would mean Vim or Emacs. TexnicCenter is truly awful: it is quite clearly a programming IDE that has been hacked to work for LaTeX and it shows (to compile the latex source is non-obvious, try the build menu. To view the output is even more non-obvious since that too is on the 'build' menu, and not the 'view' menu - that would be too sensible).

WinEDT is better, but still pointless, and has license issues (it is not 'free', though you can keep installing the trial perioid 'free' version).

Heck, you can even just use word to create LaTeX documents if you're really mad.

(These are just personal opinions - others will disagree and say WinEdt is the best thing since sliced bread. Buying a good manual is worth far more than getting a license for WinEdt.)

5. Apr 12, 2007

uart

Mag|cK, you should take a look at Abiword ( http://www.abisource.com ). It's a free word processor available for both Windows and Linux and it has a fairly nice latex based equation editor.

6. Apr 12, 2007

robphy

7. Apr 12, 2007

symbolipoint

TexAide is very good, but creating the wordprocessing document depends on what the word processor will accept. Microsoft Word and WordPad seem to not accept the equations nor expressions copied from TexAide; only the TexAide code become pasted. The wordprocessing program called Jarte WILL ACCEPT the actual equations or expressions. Jarte comes as a freeware version and a shareware version is also available. (See http://www.jarte.com)

8. Apr 12, 2007

Data

TC may not be very well-designed, but it's not buggy and it works as advertised. A few minutes will get you used to its quirks. I don't use any of its "helper" functionality, but I wouldn't use that with any sort of IDE. It's certainly far preferable to writing TeX in Word!

9. Apr 12, 2007

arevolutionist

OpenOffice.org

10. Apr 13, 2007

matt grime

And so does Emacs (or Vim). Still, if people want to use unnecessarily complicated pointless interfaces good luck to them. Personally, I can't think of any editor that is better than Vim with the LaTeX extension. Just think of all the nice features:

delete x numbers of characters, delete the next word, delete the next line, delete the next x words/lines, transpose these two letters, latex document, view latexed document, complete reference, close tag, `g auto-extends to \gamma,

all on a couple of key strokes.

11. Apr 13, 2007

Data

I've actually never used vim with the extension. I'll have to give it a try.

12. Apr 13, 2007

nugae

Lyx is free and works well. I've used it to write the odd paper, and you can also cut and paste formulae from it into this forum.

13. Apr 13, 2007

Mag|cK

Thx, uart. I have downloaded abiword, but i cant find any equation editor in it. Where is it? or do i have to download extra file?

14. Apr 13, 2007

Mag|cK

I have downloaded the plugin for equation editor. But how to make roots or fractions? like 1/2 or x^0.5 to appear with the appropriate symbols

15. Apr 13, 2007

coalquay404

As pointed out by others, your best bet is to install a TeX distribution. If you're running Windows, MiKTeX is the best way to go. For an introduction to LaTeX and the TeX system, you can't go wrong if you read the Not so Short Introduction to LaTeX.

16. Apr 14, 2007

uart

Ok here's the part where you actually have to learn some basic latex commands. Don't be discouraged if it looks complicated at first, just concentrate on learning the most basic features like fractions, square-root, indices (superscripts) and subscripts for now. You'll soon find it becomes very fast and easy to use.

Essentially what you're doing with AbiWord is using latex only for the equation environment while maintaining a more familiar word processor type environment for the main body of the document. This is really an easy way into latex, which is much more powerful than just an equation editor, it's a full text setting program. After you become more familiar with using Latex for just the equations in your documents you may even decide to try using full latex for entire documents. At least AbiWord gives you any easy way to get started on learning some Latex maths commands.

BTW. If you click on any of the formatted equations in these forums then you'll see the latex commands which generated them. This can be a good way to get some ideas on how to do various things in Latex. Start with simple equations first and you'll soon get the hang of it.

Some examples

Fractions :

$$\frac{a+b}{c}$$

$$\pi \neq \frac{p}{q}$$

Indices :

$$E = m c^2$$

$$e^{a+b} = e^a e^b$$

Subscripts

$$y_1 = x_1 + x_0$$

$$A_{k2} = A_{k1} + 1$$

Square Root (and putting a few of the above things together) :

$$\lambda = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4 a c} } {2a}$$

Make sure you learn the meaning and usage of the the special symbols "{", "}" and "\" as an absolute priority before starting ok.

Last edited: Apr 14, 2007
17. Apr 14, 2007

Hootenanny

Staff Emeritus
As an aside, you can also click on the equations in this forum to reveal the latex code used to general them.

18. Apr 14, 2007

AiRAVATA

It is remarkable how nobody mentioned Scientific... :P

Anyways, LaTeX is by far the best, and if you are interested in becoming a mathematitian, sooner or later you should learn to use it.

19. Apr 14, 2007

robphy

"Scientific... Word"?

20. Apr 14, 2007

uart

Well not really that remarkable considering that the OP specifically asked for a free program and Scientific Word is up to \$630.00 USD for a single user licence.

21. Apr 15, 2007

Mag|cK

Thank you everyone for your help .. I'll try those programs

22. Apr 15, 2007

uart

Just wondering Mag|cK, did you get the latex equation editor in Abiword working?

23. Apr 15, 2007

Mag|cK

no. currently i use openoffice.org, and perhaps switch to latex for more complicated equations..

24. Apr 15, 2007

uart

Does that mean
1. Couldn't actually make it work at all?