4 ms·
Ask HN: Is there something more convenient than LaTeX to write math (Markdown?)
I used LaTeX during my thesis, it was ok (long learning curve, but ok at the end).
Then I spent years using Markdown for other things (mostly programming/forums, and then document etc.)
Now I need to produce math+programming documents again. But once you have used Markdown, you find it veryyyyyy boring to use
\begin{itemize}
\item hello
\item world
\end{itemize}
instead of just (in Markdown):
* hello
* world
But on the other hand, Markdown alone is not enough.
Question: is there a modern mix between these 2 worlds?
Something handier than LaTeX to typeset documents?
(the math environment is totally ok: $$x^2 - 1$$, the boring part in LaTeX is itemization, code blocks, inline code, tables, URL links, etc.)
- ms013 8y agoTry pandoc. Pandoc lets you write in markdown, and intersperse LaTeX formatted equations as needed. It does take a lot of the pain of the overall document formatting away, while retaining the concise notation LaTeX provides for equations themselves.
- josephernest 8y agoI already visited their website, but I don't see how to do chapters, sections, subsections, etc. Should this be done in LaTeX or in Markdown (using #, ##, etc.) or pandoc specific? Would you have an example of document with chapters mixing Markdown and LaTex?
- astigsen 8y agoThere is a very comprehensive overview of math support in the different flavors of Markdown here: https://github.com/cben/mathdown/wiki/math-in-markdown https://github.com/cben/mathdown/wiki/math-in-markdown
- allthatglitters 8y agoLyX
- copperx 8y agoIf you're writing a highly structured document with sections, subsections, an index, a TOC, and so on, you should look into the more powerful AsciiDoc instead of Markdown. Yes, it has support for LaTeX equations just like Markdown.
- stephenl 8y agoI recommend the outlines package in LaTeX. I find it much easier to write: \begin{outline} \1 hello \1 world \2 the two indicates a second level. \end{outline}