Can mathematical equations be represented in DITA content?

DITA primarily focuses on content structuring for technical documentation. While DITA is not inherently designed for mathematical equations like LaTeX or MathML, mathematical content can still be represented using various methods. These methods include textual representation, images, or embedding MathML.

Textual Representation:

DITA supports textual representation of mathematical content. Descriptive text and symbols can be used to represent equations. For example:


<p>The Pythagorean theorem states that a² + b² = c².</p>

This method is suitable for simple equations and explanations.

Images:

Complex mathematical equations can be represented as images. Create an image of the equation using mathematical software, and then include it in DITA content.


<fig>
    <title>Quadratic Equation</title>
    <image href="quadratic-equation.png"/>
</fig>

MathML:

While DITA itself doesn’t natively support MathML (Mathematical Markup Language), MathML content can still be embedded within DITA topics. Ensure that any publishing tools used can support MathML rendering.


<equation>
    <mathml><![CDATA[<math ><mrow><mi>x</mi><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mo>-</mo><mi>b</mi><mo>±</mo><msqrt><mrow><msup><mi>b</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>-</mo><mn>4</mn><mo>*</mo><mi>a</mi><mo>*</mo><mi>c</mi></mrow></msqrt></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>*</mo><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac></mrow></math>]]</mathml>
</equation>

This method provides high-quality rendering but may require additional configuration in any publishing tools used.