LaTeX Some help with LaTeX and Preview on this forum please

  • Thread starter Thread starter Old Person
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
Users are experiencing issues with the LaTeX preview feature on the forum, where the expected output does not display correctly, showing only the delimiters instead. Although the LaTeX code appears fine once posted, the preview function seems unreliable, leading to concerns about potential loss of work if the page is refreshed. A suggested workaround involves initially entering simple LaTeX, such as Greek letters, to trigger the MathJax resource, which enables proper rendering for subsequent equations. This method allows users to check their LaTeX before final posting. The discussion highlights a known bug affecting the preview functionality, emphasizing the importance of this workaround to avoid frustration.
Old Person
Messages
31
Reaction score
10
Hi.

I'm trying to get some mathematics on this forum. I've found this help article: https://www.physicsforums.com/help/latexhelp/
but.... it doesn't seem to working.

In that article the delimiters for a block of LaTeX are supposed to be hash tags or dollar symbols for example ## X^2 = 3 ## or $$ X^2 = 3 $$ and supposedly I can see the final display by clicking the preview button. Sadly, I don't - I just see the thing with the hash or dollar symbols. I've also tried x^2 = 3 since those start and end tags are used in some other forums. That didn't work either.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Ummm... for some reason, although it didn't work in the preview, it looks ok when posted.
is the preview feature broken? Is there no way to check the tex before posting?
 
You have to update (F5) the page sometimes to give the interpreter a kick.
 
ok. Thank you. I will try that.
 
Old Person said:
Ummm... for some reason, although it didn't work in the preview, it looks ok when posted.
is the preview feature broken? Is there no way to check the tex before posting?
This is an old bug. See here: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/latex-help.1046932/post-6816969

This can seriously mess up your equations if you write numerous equations and then refresh the page. The LaTeX will be rendered as symbols, and you will be left to cry, without an option to undo.

The workaround is to first write some simple LaTeX, like some simple Greek letters, and refresh the page. This will load the MathJax resource and LaTeX will start rendering. Now you may start writing what you want, and Preview will work well.
 
  • Like
  • Informative
Likes Old Person, topsquark, berkeman and 1 other person

Similar threads

Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
3K
Replies
9
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
3K
Replies
5
Views
3K
Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
11
Views
2K
Back
Top