In each case, the mathematical keyboard will save the user time by reducing the amount of memorization, clicking, or copypasting, by simply having the codes, symbols, and operators available with a single keystroke. Plaintext requires copypasting from a source for each symbol.Equation editors are flexible but requires a lot of clicking around in menus.LaTeX is really flexible but requires practice and memorization of codes.Type it in plaintext for simple equations like α ≤ β ± 2 ☌.Type it in the Microsoft Office or Apache Open Office equations editor.When you want to type mathematical equations on a computer, you have a set of options. This log entry relates to the motivation behind creating the mathematical keyboard. Double tapping ◌₀ gives ₁, triple tapping gives ₂, and so forth. For example, double tapping ≪ gives you ⋘. For example, double tapping ∈ gives you ∉.įor all other symbols, multitapping will access additional versions of the same symbol. So double-tapping σ will give you Σ, but double tapping α does nothing since that would just give you an A.ĭouble tapping the set theory symbols will negate them. Double-tapping greek letters gives their uppercase versions if they differ from the Latin alphabet. The symbols with a red triangle in corner has additional symbols accessible by multi-tapping the key. Each key also has a green main section and blue Alt section. I eventually decided on the following layout:Įach key is separated into a light 2x2 top face and a dark 2x1 front face. It is of course likely that many users will miss a few special symbols that they need often, but this is unavoidable. These groups should hopefully cover most of what a regular mathematician, phycisist, or engineer will need. But what is a "common" symbol? I decided to refer to Wikipedia on this matter, with their excellent Glossary of Mathematical Symbols.įrom this article and based on my own experience, I decided on the following groups of symbols (with a few examples in paranthesis): The goal of the math keyboard is to be as useful as possible to as many people as possible, which means that the symbols that go on the keyboard must be the most commonly used ones. It can also be used to negate symbols (∈∉, ∃∄), or to access uppercase-versions of letters (δΔ, θΘ, σΣ). This is useful for certain symbols like roots (√, ∛, ∜) and integrals (∫, ∬, ∭). We can push this approach even further by allowing certain symbols to have multiple different versions accessible by double-tapping, triple-tapping, or even quadruble-tapping the same button. And by a lucky coincidence we can exactly fit the 26 greek letters by placing two on each button! Perfect. Therefore, by giving up only 3 buttons for Shift, Alt, and Opt, we can fit 6 times as many symbols on the remaining 13 buttons. The same is true for the cyan B-coloumn, which is accessed by holding down Opt. If you hold Shift while pressing the button, you get A. If you hold Alt while pressing the button, you get α, the front-facing symbol.
The button is separated into two columns of symbols: A blue A-column, and a cyan B-column. f you simply press the button, you get a. A single keycap showing the locations of the 6 symbols that it can fit. I take advtantage of the fact that the keycaps have a sloped front so one can see symbols printed on the front face. This may sound like it will get confusing very quickly, but I think it'll work fine. They all have numbers and symbols on each button.įor the mathematical keyboard, I decided to fit 6 symbols per button. Just look at the number row, for example. Everyone is already used to the concept of keyboard buttons having more than one symbol. The second solution is a bit more tricky because it requires us to make a decision about which symbols common enough to be granted a spot on the math keyboard. Fit more than one symbol on each button.We have two ways of approaching this problem: Consider that the keyboard only has 16 buttons, while Wikipedia lists hundreds of mathematical Unicode symbols:Ĭlearly, it will not be possible to fit every mathematical symbol on the math keyboard. The apparently simple task of deciding which symbols go where on the math keyboard has been more challenging than I had anticipated.
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