Re: [Phys-L] Typing Math Equations in Email

[Dan Beeker <debeeker@comcast.net>]

I spent way too much time trying to find ways to send equations in e-mail. It can be done but the frustrations of setting things up were far greater than the effort was worth. Although learning to use LateX is an admirable pursuit I would not expect my first year physics students, let alone students in 100 level courses to do so. It is truly amazing to me that there isn't more interest in seeing equations, especially now that we have MathJax and HTML5.

I spent a lot of time looking for ways to send equations in e-mails and finally gave up. I did come up with a work around for chat rooms. There is an open source chat room called MathIM.com. Very easy to use and the advertising is minimal - if you are knowledgeable at all, one can trim out the ads though I don't out of appreciation to the originator who in my opinion earns every millicent he receives from the google ads.

I set MathType preferences to generate equations in blackboard (which no longer has this functionality - apparently its a feature that wasn't used enough). One can then cut and paste the equations between Math Type and MathIM. Meant I could edit and notate a student's equations and send it back to the chat room which was nice. I liked the process so much I bought a departmental license so our students could have access to it. Out of some 600 students who had access to it, about 20 actually downloaded the program and used it. 

Ultimately I figured out that few students really understood the difference between A+B/C and (A+B)/C and fewer were willing to take the time to put parenthesis in when needed, let alone a fraction or an integral. I figured if students didn't know enough to use parenthesis my efforts to get them to actually write an equation were hopeless so I gave up on the effort.

There is a feature in MathType to save an equation as a bit map. Often looks ugly and isn't editable but it does work.

Dan
 
On Apr 7, 2015, at 12:00 PM, phys-l-request@www.phys-l.org wrote:

> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2015 17:06:35 +0000
> From: Bill Nettles <bnettles@uu.edu>
> To: "Phys-L@Phys-L.org" <Phys-L@Phys-L.org>
> Subject: Re: [Phys-L] Typing Math Equations in Email
> Message-ID: <53A1D1E4B7ADAB409C88D0A3F6F5992103910203@jaxmail.uu.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I cannot see the equations. Windows 7 Enterprise, Outlook Exchange server.  Of course, who knows what the listserve server is doing with any RTF that arrives.
>
> -> -----Original Message-----
> -> From: Phys-l [mailto:phys-l-bounces@www.phys-l.org] On Behalf Of Donald
> -> Polvani
>
>
> -> Subject: [Phys-L] Typing Math Equations in Email
> -> 
> Snip
> If you
> -> can spare the time, would you please respon