WPMathPub LaTeX Math In Social Networks
This post demonstrates the unique social connectivity empowered by the WordPress WPMathPub plugin because it renders math equations as portable server-side PNG images.
- LaTeX math generation in WordPress blog posts and pages.
- Reliable display of math equations in RSS feeds (often LaTeX math is just ignored).
- And now for the first time: your community can interact with you with the LaTeX math too.
Many RSS readers don’t support the JavaScript needed to render LaTeX equations. For example, if you open this post in Feedly, the typical WordPress rendered LaTeX equation will not display at all. While the WPMathPub‑rendered LaTeX equations will always appear correctly in all RSS feeds.
Example: Professor Teaching Simple Harmonic Motion
In this example the professor uses WPMathPub is used to share the Simple Harmonic Motion differential equation and ask for student participation. The typical MathJax version is also shown for an RSS feed demonstration to follow.
The professor states that the derivation of SHM starts with the second derivative of position with respect to time that produces the negative of the original function to model the behaviour of the mass bouncing up and down on a spring. See the equation shown below:
WPMathPub LaTeX Equation (PNG)
WordPress LaTeX Equation (MathJax)
Now the professor asks for student comments shared below on this blog post:
What function can we use to solve this SHM differential equation?
Hint: Name a function that is the negative of itself after double differentiation…
… Later after students have time to comment…
Professor responds by solving the SHM equation:
Based on Ron’s comment below we can use the cosine function and a few steps left out here for brevity (Hooke’s Law and Newton’s Second Law… The derivation starting from the self-producing second derivative leads to the general equation for periodic motion:
WPMathPub LaTeX Equation (PNG)
WordPress LaTeX Equation (MathJax)
