MathML Goes Hyper-Interactive
20 November 2013
Mr. MathML, or more correctly Monsieur MathML Frédéric Wang has got serious about moving MathML browser rendering ahead for Firefox and Webkit. The project is targeted at knowledge and education eBooks.
Mr. MathML, or more correctly Monsieur MathML Frédéric Wang has got serious about moving MathML browser rendering ahead for Firefox and Webkit and ultimately ebook reading systems. He has a crowd-sourced project to improve browser MathML support, targeted at knowledge and education eBooks.
UPDATE 16 December 2013
The project has reached it's basic target and is happening. However there are no significant contributions from STM publishers, the ones who should be most interested in the success of this project.
Don't hesitate to contribute to this most worthy project
Contribute
Every education and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine) publisher on the planet should be donating to this project. They will reap 1000-fold benefits.
There is a crowd-sourcing project at www.ulule.com/mathematics-ebooks/ to fund this work.
Of course there is nothing to stop we "ordinary people" putting in our contribution as well.
MathML has leapt into importance with the rapid development of digital textbooks for education. Here in 2013 we are still having to deliver ePub2/3 with crappy images for equations primarily because of the abysmal/no support for MathML in all ePub2/3 reading system rendering engines and browsers except Firefox. The MathJax project is compensating for the limited mainstream browser support and gives some breathing space, but it is a presentation tool only as we will discuss.
MathML Demonstration
Check out this demonstration video. You have probably never seen this level of MathML interactivity. This is the sort of maths learning magic that Frédéric's project will deliver.
Education publishers should be sitting bolt-upright in their chairs! This is the chance for the publishing and education world to learn how to create digital content with this level of MathML interactive intensity.