Roadmap

The high-level goals of this project are that mathematics should be stored in a way that is easy for both computers and humans to consume. Our plan has three parts:

Compatibility

We wish to ensure that the editor is usable on as many platforms as possible:

Integration

We seek to allow people to use the editor in contexts in which they already create mathematical content. Some (by no means all) platforms that I wish to explore specifically are:

Applications

When mathematical content is stored in a computer-friendly way, there should be ways of leveraging that extra understanding to help those consuming that content.

We envision a tool a bit like a programming IDE, except for reading mathematics. For example, if when reading a theorem we find a symbol whose definition we have forgotten, we should be able to click on that symbol and be able to cross-reference its definition and its other instances in the document.

Philosophy

If PostScript is the assembly language of typesetting mathematics, then perhaps LaTeX is the C and this XML format can be one of many competing higher-level languages for specifying mathematical formulae–not optimal for all use-cases, but addressing positively the needs of a few.