Mathematical Wordprocessing

Here is a quick guide to some of the methods of preparing high-quality text involving mathematics.

DOC/DOCX: The proprietary format used by Word. Most people have it, and there are free viewers for most operating systems.; Be warned that figures and mathematics often fail to show up properly in files created in Word but read using other software, including OpenOffice. When sharing electronic documents, it is your responsibility to ensure that they are readable; the only reliable way to accomplish this goal is to convert to PDF.
RTF: The Rich Text Format is compatible with Word as well as numerous other wordprocessing programs. Folks who don't use Word often have no trouble with RTF.
PostScript: Adobe's original typesetting language. Easily generated by TeX, and by many graphics programs, including Maple and Mathematica. Can often be generated simply by using a PS printer driver and printing to a file.
PDF: Essentially a compressed replacement for PostScript. Most modern software can export PDF, and converters from most formats are readily available. The widespread availablity of free PDF readers, including Adobe Acrobat Reader, makes this the most portable format for sharing mathematical text online.
HTML: The language of the web. MathJax can be used to generate high-quality online mathematics.

All of the software discussed below is available in the computer lab in the MLC in Kidder Hall.

$\boldsymbol{\LaTeX}$: Developed by a mathematician, this is the gold standard for mathematical typesetting. The learning curve can be steep, however, as it is essentially a programming language. There are several frontends which are easy to use, including a good online interface at Overleaf, but, whereas $\LaTeX$ itself is free, many of the frontends are not. However, if you plan to be a mathematician, you should learn to use $\LaTeX$ at some point.; Advantages: total control over format; easy to convert to PDF; completely portable; Disadvantages: steep learning curve; not WYSIWYG
Word: Word handles simple mathematics quite well, and complex mathematics with a little patience.; Advantages: widely available; easy to use; WYSIWYG; Disadvantages: math formatted as objects, not text; proprietary format; not really portable.
Maple: Really a computer algebra system, but sessions can contain formatted text as well.; Advantages: export as TeX, HTML, and RTF; Disadvantages: not widely available; somewhat cumbersome for text
Mathematica: Really a computer algebra system, but sessions can contain formatted text as well.; Advantages: export as TeX, HTML; Disadvantages: not widely available; somewhat cumbersome for text

SVG: The current gold standard for images. Rescales smoothly; can be displayed by most modern browsers; converts easily to PDF. Some programs can export to SVG, which can also be created/edited directly with Inkscape.
GIF: Useful for simple drawings; uses lossless compression. Can be displayed by all browsers.
PNG: Open-source alternative to GIF. Can be displayed by all browsers, and can be easily incorporated into $\LaTeX$ documents.
JPG: Best for photos, but uses lossy compression. Can be displayed by all browsers, and can be easily incorporated into $\LaTeX$ documents.
EPS: Essentially the same as PostScript. Can be converted easily to PDF, which is usually better.
PDF: Not usually the best format for creating/editing images, but most graphics programs can output images in this format. Most browsers can display it, and $\LaTeX$ can incorporate it.

Other formats should be avoided if possible, especially bitmap formats. If necessary, convert them to PDF