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Ask HN: Is there something more convenient than LaTeX to write math (Markdown?)

2 points by josephernest ↗ HN
I used LaTeX during my thesis, it was ok (long learning curve, but ok at the end).

Then I spent years using Markdown for other things (mostly programming/forums, and then document etc.)

Now I need to produce math+programming documents again. But once you have used Markdown, you find it veryyyyyy boring to use

    \begin{itemize}
    \item hello
    \item world
    \end{itemize}
instead of just (in Markdown):

    * hello
    * world
But on the other hand, Markdown alone is not enough.

Question: is there a modern mix between these 2 worlds? Something handier than LaTeX to typeset documents?

(the math environment is totally ok: $$x^2 - 1$$, the boring part in LaTeX is itemization, code blocks, inline code, tables, URL links, etc.)

6 comments

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ms013
Try pandoc. Pandoc lets you write in markdown, and intersperse LaTeX formatted equations as needed. It does take a lot of the pain of the overall document formatting away, while retaining the concise notation LaTeX provides for equations themselves.
josephernest
I already visited their website, but I don't see how to do chapters, sections, subsections, etc. Should this be done in LaTeX or in Markdown (using #, ##, etc.) or pandoc specific?

Would you have an example of document with chapters mixing Markdown and LaTex?

copperx
If you're writing a highly structured document with sections, subsections, an index, a TOC, and so on, you should look into the more powerful AsciiDoc instead of Markdown. Yes, it has support for LaTeX equations just like Markdown.
stephenl
I recommend the outlines package in LaTeX.

I find it much easier to write:

    \begin{outline}
    \1 hello
    \1 world
      \2 the two indicates a second level.
    \end{outline}