More Examples
LaTeX example with color and graphics.
Formatting Equations
It is instructive to try and create a complicated equation
in html. Even given images for integrals, summations, and
parentheses, one can see the kinds of issues that (La)Tex
must face when typesetting good mathematics from simple
input.
Here is a simple example.
One line, one image
Next let's make it a fraction!
Next let's wrap it in ( )'s
Next let's sum it up...
Comparison between HTML,
TeX and LaTeX versions
Given a "box" which wraps each of the smallest components,
they must be "glued" together in such a way that
- the boxes fit together without overlap or extra "white space"
- are aligned with each other
- are scaled correctly
- fonts are selected optimally
- components are "modular" that is changing the source upstream
or downstream minimally affects the display.
These are precisely the components which went into the making
of TeX and LaTeX. The idea of rendering any document as a nested
set of boxes (horizontal - \hbox, and vertical - \vbox), and then
determing the rules for "glueing" them together, in the presence
of hypenation, pagebreaks, and grouped items (among a host of other
constraints) is what makes TeX so powerful (and complex!)
Tips
In Linux/Unix, one can create simple graphics via xfig. More
sophisticated graphics (in color!) can be created through Maple
or Matlab. Once they are exported to EPS format, they can be
embedded into TeX documents.
Many graphics formats can be converted to EPS format through "xv"
In Windows, one can directly create graphics or art in the Office
tools. One can then do a screen capture, or export the document
to a gif format. This then has to be turned into an EPS format file
to be included in TeX.