[coolsunglasses]

Mathematical symbols are overloaded by context, this could be done but you'd still need to tell it whether it was a formula from "machine learning" or "topology".

Then you'd still fail to account for symbols invented/repurposed in a single paper or by a single author.

Basically, the tool itself is a machine learning problem.

[btown]

Even the simple case of taking a PDF, finding the first use of any given symbol in that paper, and turning the PDF into an interactive document where hovering on any use of the symbol shows a tooltip showing the first use - now that would be both useful and feasible.

But... the Venn diagram of people able to do such a thing, people motivated to do such a thing (i.e. people reading academic papers who aren't math whizzes), and people with the time to do such a task... seems not to have a sufficient intersection. Most of us in this thread fulfill categories 1 and 2, but not 3... come to think of it, I have work to do... ducks.

[wetmore]

Some friends and I are trying to do something similar actually.