# How do I incorporate mathematical symbols into my solutions / explanations ?

Jan 1, 2016

Cue hashtags!

#### Explanation:

Socratic uses a very cool formatting technology called ASCIIMathML for adding math equations and symbols into answers.

Basically, all you have to do in order to get your math equations and symbols to format as math text is to use hashtags, #, before and after calculation lines.

So, for example, you can write

• without the hashtags

2 + 2

• with the hashtags

$2 + 2$

The added hashtags will tell the editor that whatever text is placed between the hashtags is to be interpreted as math code.

You can use ^ and _ to add superscripts and subscripts

• without the hashtags

x_1^2 + x_2^2 = 0

• with the hashtags

${x}_{1}^{2} + {x}_{2}^{2} = 0$

You can use various operators like sqrt() for square roots

• without the hashtags

sqrt(x/2 + x/4)

• *with the hashtags

$\sqrt{\frac{x}{2} + \frac{x}{4}}$

You can even add color and strikeouts to your equations

• without the hashtags

cancel(x) + 3 - cancel(x) = color(green)(3)

• with the hashtags

$\cancel{x} + 3 - \cancel{x} = \textcolor{g r e e n}{3}$

The full guide to adding math formatting can be found here

http://socratic.org/help/symbols

You can find all kinds of awesome math features, like how to write matrices or use the graphing tool, in the answers written here

http://socratic.org/socratic/writing-great-answers/math-and-equations