Program for writing proofs?

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davy sezdavy sez
Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
Hey, all



I need a program which would allow me write equations interspersed with text for writing mathematical proofs. This semester I'm taking theoretical linear algebra and discrete mathematics, both of which are entirely proof based. Both professors are into neatness and rewriting, so doing on the computer instead of by hand would be awesome. I'm new to macs (Marvin the Mac is only a few weeks old ) and I'm not sure if there's a program that can do this. I'd really like something that wouldn't require shelling out lots of money if possible.



Thanks!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    This is what TeX is designed to do. You may install the free teTeX backend and the free TeXShop GUI. You can also use Microsoft Word and Equation Editor. You may use the full-fledged equation editor, MathType. Personally, I prefer MathEQ.
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  • Reply 2 of 8
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    LaTeX, LaTex, LaTex, LaTeX. Hands down, period, end of story, fin.



    I have been wrestling with Word and it's POS Equation Editor for the past week to do a book chapter that literally took me less than an hour to format in TeXShop. In the end? I ended up rendering the equations in LaTeX to PDFs, using ghostscript to convert them to EPS files, and sending it all off to the publisher.



    Avoid Word, avoid Equation Editor, and simply go with TeXShop. It has a small learning curve, but it makes perfect sense once you start using it - after all, it was created by scientists, not marketing wonks.



    Toss in Equation Service, and it's a dream.



    I did a 400 pg CS dissertation with a few hundred equations, and it was slick as hell. If you're going into mathematics at all, it is THE standard.
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  • Reply 3 of 8
    davy sezdavy sez Posts: 9member
    Awesome! Thanks a bunch. I'm looking forward to combining my two favorite things, Mathematics and Macs !
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  • Reply 4 of 8
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    LyX is a nice program that uses TeX. I think there's a Mac OS X binary too.
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  • Reply 5 of 8
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Splinemodel


    LyX is a nice program that uses TeX. I think there's a Mac OS X binary too.



    There is.
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  • Reply 6 of 8
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Splinemodel


    LyX is a nice program that uses TeX. I think there's a Mac OS X binary too.



    I never got into LyX, though I know people who swear by it - it felt to me like it suffered from a case of trying to manage entire 'projects' within it, and lord help you if you stepped outside the tool's domain (say, Terminal or Finder) to work on files. *shrug* Personally, I prefer the simplicity and cleanliness of TeXShop, but if you're looking for a Word-for-LaTeX type app (or maybe DreamWeaver-for-LaTeX?) it's supposed to be the best.
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  • Reply 7 of 8
    allbrainallbrain Posts: 61member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kickaha


    LaTeX, LaTex, LaTex, LaTeX. Hands down, period, end of story, fin.



    Second that, I used TeXShop for my thesis a couple of months ago. It was a great program making complex cryptographic math typesetting easy as using, erm... a Mac!



    Plus, it looks awesome when it's all printed. All professional and stuff!
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  • Reply 8 of 8
    mr. jeffmr. jeff Posts: 44member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by davy sez


    Awesome! Thanks a bunch. I'm looking forward to combining my two favorite things, Mathematics and Macs !



    Macmatics. Now I would of definitly taken that class. What could be better?
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