Math Formulas

The rich-text editor can typeset mathematical formulas. You write a formula in LaTeX, and learners see it rendered wherever the content is displayed: documents, announcements, exercises, forums, wiki pages, and any other tool that uses the editor.

Formulas are stored inside the content itself, so they travel with the course when you copy or export it.

Enabling the Feature

The formula button is off by default. A platform administrator turns it on under Administration > Configuration settings > Editor > Enable MathJax (enabled_mathjax).

Once the setting is on, the button appears in every editor on the platform. No per-course configuration is needed.

Inserting a Formula

1. Place the cursor where the formula belongs

2. Click the Insert formula button in the editor toolbar (the Σ icon)

3. Type the formula in LaTeX code

4. Check the rendered result in the preview box below the field

5. Click Insert

The preview updates while you type, so you can correct a mistake before you insert anything.

Editing a Formula

Click the formula in the editor. The same dialog opens again, with your original LaTeX code in the field. Change it and click Insert to replace the formula.

To delete a formula, select it in the editor and press Delete, as with any other element.

Writing LaTeX

The formula field takes standard LaTeX math notation. A few examples:

What you type	What learners see
x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}	The quadratic formula
\sum_{i=1}^{n} i = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}	A sum with limits
\int_{0}^{\infty} e^{-x} dx = 1	A definite integral
\alpha + \beta = \gamma	Greek letters
\begin{matrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{matrix}	A matrix

You can also type the raw delimiters \(...\), \[...\] or $$...$$ straight into the editor. The editor converts them into formulas when it loads the content.

Notes

• The formula library is loaded only on pages that actually contain a formula, so pages without one are not slowed down.

• Everything is rendered in the learner's browser. The platform needs no external service, and works on an installation with no access to the internet.

• A formula keeps its LaTeX source. You can always reopen it and read what you wrote, even years later.