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Re: Re: The Mathematica Book, Electronic Media

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg78598] Re: [mg78548] Re: [mg78524] The Mathematica Book, Electronic Media
  • From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
  • Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 04:00:53 -0400 (EDT)
  • Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
  • References: <f5qitl$5fs$1@smc.vnet.net> <200706270932.FAA01420@smc.vnet.net> <f5vrpf$kar$1@smc.vnet.net> <200707030941.FAA18707@smc.vnet.net> <200707040930.FAA08278@smc.vnet.net>
  • Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu

I should have added that one can view MathML in the Firefox browser 
without any plug-in, provided that one has downloaded the necessary 
(free) math fonts.  (These include the "old" Mathematica fonts along 
with some TeX fonts and two special symbol fonts.)

Now I believe it is possible for a web page to check which browser it is 
being viewed in, so all it takes then to make MathML available on a page 
to those who can view it, while still using images for those who cannot, 
is for the xhtml code to check the browser and, in case it's Firefox, to 
issue an appropriate message in case the fonts are not found.

Murray Eisenberg wrote:
> I can sometimes get away with reading a newspaper or magazine at meals, 
> but my wife draws the line at computers on the table!
> 
> As to display of symbols and equations at MathWorld:  Supporting math in 
> web browsers has long been a problem.  Mathematically rich sites such as 
>   MathWorld are necessarily aimed at the "lowest common denominator" -- 
> relying upon graphic images for symbols -- and this is not a 
> satisfactory way to display math on a web page, no matter how good the 
> tools one uses to produce those images.
> 
> Much more satisfactory results are obtained if either one uses a 
> proprietary "math viewer" with a correspondingly prepared web page or 
> else one is viewing MathML on the  page in a browser that knows how to 
> render it (and one has installed the necessary supporting fonts).
> 
> Bravo to WRI for supporting the MathML effort.
> 
> But MathML cannot be relied upon until the day that Microsoft builds in 
> support for it in Internet Explorer (and transparently furnishes the 
> necessary fonts).  Whether they ever will is a big question, given that 
> MathML is "not made here" from Microsoft's viewpoint.  Meanwhile, one 
> can download and install the free DesignScience MathPlayer in order to 
> enable MathML display in IE, but that's a hassle.
> 
> David Park wrote:
>> We almost all love books. They still have some advantage over electronic 
>> media....
>>
>> Some of the decisive disadvantages of books and other printed media are:
>>
>> ... At meals I always like 
>> to read something or other. I can either read magazines or books or material 
>> on our laptop. I find that I more and more gravitate to the laptop because 
>> it is easier....
>>
>> Take MathWorld. Here is a site that is top notch, A+++, as far as content 
>> and organization go....It is much smaller and with less line 
>> spacing than any technical book I can pick off my shelf. Also, the font used 
>> for the equations is quite poor....
> 

-- 
Murray Eisenberg                     murray at math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower      phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts                413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street            fax   413 545-1801
Amherst, MA 01003-9305


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