math or LaTeX engine for Droid phones
Are there math or LaTeX engines available for the Android phone? The flashcard app I like best (AnyMemo) doesn't seem to be able to integrate equations into the flashcards except as graphics, requiring a lot more work on the user's part, and I thought a third-party math typesetter would be a possibility.
(Edit 2011.04.24) More detail: From elsewhere, I've received the following remarks on some of the available options:
- JScience: Only a parser. It is not useful for generating images.
- jsmath: Does not display correctly in the Android browser.
- JEuclid: Depends on AWT which Android does not have.
- JMathTex: Depends on Swing, which Android does not have.
- snuggletex: Depends on JEuclid (see above).
Perhaps the S.O. readership can think of another way?
Answer
Built on jsMath, MathJax is a wonderful browser rendering engine for LaTeX, MathML and AsciiMath, which works fine in the native Android Browser, and also in Firefox for Android. Unfortunately, though, none of these technologies (except maybe AsciiMath) is fully supported at this time. For example, only certain LaTeX commands are supported. You can also read the documentation on MathML support and AsciiMath support.
If you're comfortable with the command line, you can also try
- TeX Live for Android, although it has been reported to not work with some devices.
- TeXPortal, another work in progress effort to port the complete TeX Live to Android.
So, there are alternatives and everything has its ups and downs. I just hope Google converts Android to a full Unix system, it'll make things much easier for everyone.