MathML version of readings

I am testing out a MathML version of the multivariable calculus readings. MathML allows equations to be displayed much better on web pages. However, browser support for MathML is still a work in progress. As of this writing (January 13, 2009), current versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer support MathML, but you need to set up the browser correctly. Instructions are below. The newest version of Opera has MathML support, but it has some bugs, as mentioned below. Neither Chrome nor Safari currently have MathML support.

Once you have properly set up your browser, you should be able to correctly view the MathML versions of the pages by following the below link. At the bottom of each page, there is also a link to switch between versions. The version you are viewing appears in the upper left corner under the title.

Access MathML version of readings
Access non-MathML version of readings

Browser setup for MathML

Firefox

To use Firefox for MathML, it is easiest if you install Firefox 3. Get the latest stable version at http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/. Firefox has built in support for MathML. But for MathML to display properly, you need to download some fonts. Go to http://www.mozilla.org/projects/mathml/fonts/ and follow the instructions to download and install the STIX Beta fonts. (If you use Firefox 2, you can still use MathML, but you have a bit more work to install the different fonts as described on the same page.)

Internet Explorer

For Internet Explorer to work best, install or update to the latest stable release at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/ie/getitnow.mspx. However, Internet Explorer does not have built in MathML support. For MathML to work, you also have to download and install the free MathPlayer from Design Science (which requires at least version 6 of Internet Explorer). Go to http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathplayer/ and follow the instructions. You may need to give permission for Math Player to run the first time you view a MathML page.

Opera

The newest versions of Opera have MathML support, but there are some bugs. The most serious for this site is that it has trouble with fencing so that in some cases, the double bars in an expression such as ||a|| appears like parenthesis (a). For example, in the last equation of the page on surface normal vectors, the denominator appears to be surrounded by parentheses, at least when I test with Opera 9.63 running under Linux. Caution is advised before viewing the MathML pages with Opera.