[db48x]

That’s “x² − 2 = 0” and “x⁴ − 10x² + 22”. We should all take more care to transcribe exponents correctly when copying between media. (Actually, we should go back in time and prevent anyone from inventing superscripts and subscripts entirely, but that is a longer–term goal.)

[Aerroon]

This has been bothering me since I basically started using computers: why are default inputs for computers so bad for writing math? Computers are basically bathed in the field of mathematics and yet writing math with a computer is quite an unpleasant experience. Why?

[yetihehe]

Too many years of inadequate display technologies (text only) plus some powerful notations which could describe math to computers in other ways (using functions like sqrt() and pow()). Also mathematicians like to invent typographically hard to use symbols, which would need to be widely implemented first before they can publish their research, so programmers only make specialised packages for mathematicians instead of system-wide support.

[db48x]

The notation is far too complex and ambiguous, with too much reuse of notation to mean different things in different subfields. For example, superscript numbers are used for exponents, and subscripts are for indices, right? Well except for certain cases where vectors are indexed by superscripted numbers instead.

Mathematicians should have been taught to use Scheme syntax instead.

[nabla9]

Because Don Knuth only invented digital typesetting he had time to only write TeX and Metafont.

Had he also done the same for display managers, we would be fine.