Typeset TeX math

This recipe writes formulas in Markdown with TeX dollar syntax: inline math between single dollars, display math between double dollars. The TeX is converted to MathML and set by glu’s OpenType-MATH engine, so no Pandoc, no JavaScript, and no external converter are involved.

$Rendered page with inline and display formulas$

Full example: glu/markdown/tex-math

Step 1: switch math on

Math parsing is off by default, so a $ used as a currency sign is never reinterpreted. Enable it in the frontmatter:

---
title: TeX math in Markdown
lang: en
css: tex-math.css
math: true
---

The mass-energy equivalence $E=mc^2$ sits inline with the prose.

The quadratic formula, set as a display equation:

$$x=\frac{-b\pm\sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}$$

A summation in display style, where the engine enlarges the operator
and places the limits above and below:

$$\sum_{i=1}^{n} i = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}$$

Step 2: provide a math font

The engine needs a font carrying an OpenType MATH table (Latin Modern Math, STIX Two Math, XITS Math, Cambria Math, …). The dollars become a <math> element internally, and that element looks up font-family on itself, so point it at the font in the stylesheet:

@font-face {
  font-family: "Latin Modern Math";
  src: url("latinmodern-math.otf");
}

math {
  font-family: "Latin Modern Math";
  font-size: 12pt;
}

Without a MATH-table font the formulas cannot be set; this is the one required piece of configuration.

Step 3: run it

glu tex-math.md

Safe dollars

Opening and closing delimiters follow the same strict rule Pandoc uses: the opening $ must not be followed by whitespace, the closing $ must not be preceded by whitespace and must not be directly followed by a digit. So it costs $5 and $10 stays plain prose, while $x+1$ is a formula. Dollars inside code spans and fenced code blocks are always left alone.

What works

Fractions, roots, super- and subscripts, Greek letters, big operators with limits (\sum, \prod, \int), stretchy fences (\left( … \right)), primes, and named operators like \sin or \lim. An unknown command degrades to its name as an upright identifier instead of failing the render. Matrices, \begin{} environments, and accents such as \hat are not yet covered; the full table is in the Markdown mode reference.

Accessibility for free

The example sets format: PDF/UA-2 in its frontmatter. Because each formula becomes MathML, it rides the full accessibility path automatically: a Formula structure element with a text alternative, plus the MathML source embedded as an associated file for assistive technology.

Mathematics (TeX) in the Markdown mode reference
Mathematics (MathML) for writing MathML directly in HTML documents
Produce an accessible report for the PDF/UA side

Barcodes Accessible report