Mathematical documents - Needs and tools

The idea of a language to describe the presentation or logic of a mathematical expression is not new. Numerical or formal calculation software such as MathLab, Mathematica, Maple, etc., have used specific languages for this purpose since their origins.

In terms of presentation, document formatters in the "roff" family had EQN, a module for "simple" composition of mathematical formulas, at their disposal as early as 1975. In 1977, TeX, now the de facto standard for scientific publications, incorporated a complete set of equation composition commands into its basic syntax.

The emergence of SGML and XML metalanguages has introduced a new challenge: using MathML to standardize, or at least unify, the syntax of mathematical expression, whatever its subsequent use.

This first part draws up an inventory of needs and takes stock of the tools available for scientific communication. It helps situate MathML in the context of its emergence and use.

The technical and practical aspects of implementing this standard are covered in .