New York Journal of Mathematics
Articles in Mathematically-Capable HTML

March, 2006
Revised April, 2011

Copyright © 2006-2011 New York Journal of Mathematics

Introduction

The idea here is that HTML with MathML is the best form of presentation for online viewing of a mathematical article.

From the spring of 2011 with the realization of support for HTML, version 5, in many web browsers, for example, the Mozilla browsers (including Firefox), the Webkit browsers (including Chrome and Safari), Opera, and MSIE, things are changing for math on the web.

First, it is “legal” for the first time to use MathML in ordinary HTML. One is no longer limited to the strict XML form of HTML.

For browsers that do not yet support MathML, a suitable script link to MathJax in a web page containing MathML makes it possible for MathML to be rendered in almost all modern web browsers without the taking of special steps by users.

Reasons HTML with MathML is preferable for online viewing to a format like PDF or DVI include:

Content can be scaled to suit the reader's eyes.
As with ordinary HTML, content is re-flowed when a user “zooms” in/out or re-sizes the browsing window.
HTML with MathML is a recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium that complies with the standard Guidelines for Accessibility.
With suitable future browser development there will be the possibility of mathematically smart searching.
With sufficient attention to mathematical semantics by authors who are so interested, there will be the future possibility of importing math segments from online article content to MathML-literate processors such as computer algebra systems.
HTML with MathML can be automatically derived from suitable authoring systems parallel to customary printed output. These authoring systems, which include TeX-like systems, can make it possible for journals to process articles without human alteration of an author's source.