Math Formulas

Write mathematical equations using LaTeX notation — inline within text or as standalone formula blocks.

Craft supports LaTeX math notation for everything from simple subscripts to complex multiline equations. Formulas render natively across all platforms and look the same in the editor, in block previews, and in exports.

There are two ways to use formulas: block formulas for standalone equations, and inline formulas for math within your text.

Block Formulas

Block formulas are standalone equation blocks that display centered on their own line. They’re ideal for important equations, derivations, and multiline math.

Inserting a Block Formula

macOS

• Type /formula and select Insert Formula (TeX) from the slash menu
• Or open the Insert menu from the toolbar and choose Formula (TeX)

iOS

• Tap + in the toolbar and choose Formula (TeX)
• Or type /formula and select it from the slash menu

Web

• Type /formula and select Insert Formula (TeX) from the slash menu
• Or use the Insert menu in the sidebar and choose Formula (TeX)

Editing a Block Formula

Click on a block formula to open the formula editor. Type your LaTeX code in the input field — the rendered formula updates live above it.

Inline Formulas

Inline formulas render within your text for variables, expressions, and short equations.

To insert an inline formula:

1. Type $$ to begin the formula
2. Enter your LaTeX notation (e.g., E = mc^2)
3. Type $$ again to render the formula, for example $$E = mc^2$$

On iPhone and iPad, enter the complete expression, such as $$x^2+y^2=z^2$$. Do not put a space immediately after the opening $$ or immediately before the closing $$. Spaces within the expression are allowed, as in $$E = mc^2$$. Typing the opening $$ alone does not open an editor.

To edit an inline formula on iPhone or iPad, tap the rendered formula, then tap the pencil icon. Edit the LaTeX expression in the formula panel without the $$ delimiters, then tap Save.

Use inline formulas for variables and short expressions within sentences. Use block formulas for important standalone equations, derivations, or anything with multiple lines.

LaTeX Quick Reference

Here are the most commonly used LaTeX commands in Craft.

Basic Math

What you want	LaTeX	Result
Fraction	\frac{a}{b}	a/b
Square root	\sqrt{x}	√x
nth root	\sqrt[3]{x}	∛x
Superscript	x^2	x²
Subscript	x_i	xᵢ
Both	x_i^2	xᵢ²
Greek letter	\alpha, \beta, \pi, \Sigma	α, β, π, Σ
Infinity	\infty	∞

Operators and Relations

What you want	LaTeX
Sum	\sum_{i=1}^{n}
Product	\prod_{i=1}^{n}
Integral	\int_a^b
Limit	\lim_{x \to \infty}
Not equal	\neq
Less/greater or equal	\leq, \geq
Approximately	\approx
Plus-minus	\pm

Structures

Matrices

Use \begin{pmatrix}...\end{pmatrix} for parenthesized matrices, or bmatrix for square brackets:

\begin{pmatrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{pmatrix}

Other matrix types: vmatrix (vertical bars), Vmatrix (double bars), Bmatrix (curly braces).

Cases (Piecewise Functions)

f(x) = \begin{cases} x & \text{if } x \geq 0 \\ -x & \text{if } x < 0 \end{cases}

Multiline Equations (Alignment)

Use align* to align equations at the & symbol:

\begin{align*}
  (a + b)^2 &= (a + b)(a + b) \\
            &= a^2 + 2ab + b^2
\end{align*}

Arrays and Tables

Use \begin{array}{lcr} with column alignment specifiers (l, c, r) and \\ for rows:

\begin{array}{c|c}
  x & f(x) \\ \hline
  0 & 1 \\
  1 & 2
\end{array}

Decorations

Cancellation and Boxed Expressions

• \cancel{x} — diagonal strikethrough
• \bcancel{x} — back diagonal
• \xcancel{x} — X strikethrough
• \boxed{expression} — draw a box around a result

Braces and Arrows Over/Under

• \overbrace{a+b+c}^{\text{label}} — brace above
• \underbrace{a+b+c}_{\text{label}} — brace below
• \overrightarrow{AB} — arrow above
• \overleftarrow{AB} — arrow above (left)

Extensible Arrows

Arrows that stretch to fit their labels:

• \xrightarrow[\text{below}]{\text{above}} — right arrow with labels
• \xleftarrow{\text{label}} — left arrow
• \xRightarrow{} — double right arrow
• \xleftrightarrow{} — bidirectional arrow

Sizing

Adjust delimiter sizes manually:

• \big( \Big( \bigg( \Bigg( — increasing sizes of parentheses
• Works with all delimiter types: (), [], \{\}, |, \|

Colors

Add color to parts of your formulas:

• \color{blue}{x+y} — color a subexpression
• \textcolor{red}{x} — color text
• \colorbox{yellow}{expression} — colored background

Shorthand color commands are also available: \red{x}, \blue{x}, \green{x}, \purple{x}, and more.

Supported named colors: red, blue, green, cyan, magenta, yellow, orange, purple, brown, black, white, gray, teal, pink, olive, violet.

Specialized Notation

Physics

Craft includes built-in physics notation commands:

• \abs{x} — absolute value
• \norm{x} — norm
• \dd{x} — differential
• \dv{f}{x} — total derivative
• \pdv{f}{x} — partial derivative
• \grad, \curl, \divergence, \cross — vector calculus operators
• \vb{F} — vector bold

Quantum Mechanics (Braket Notation)

• \bra{\psi} — bra ⟨ψ|
• \ket{\phi} — ket |φ⟩
• \braket{\psi | \phi} — inner product ⟨ψ|φ⟩

Number Set Shortcuts

Quick access to common sets using blackboard bold:

• \R — real numbers ℝ
• \N — natural numbers ℕ
• \Z — integers ℤ
• \Q — rationals ℚ
• \C — complex numbers ℂ

Or use \mathbb{X} for any letter.

Custom Macros

Define reusable commands within a formula using standard TeX macro syntax:

\def\RR{\mathbb{R}}
\def\norm#1{\left\| #1 \right\|}
f: \RR \to \RR, \quad \norm{x} < 1

You can also use \newcommand{\cmd}[n]{definition} syntax.

Equation Tags

Label equations with \tag{n}:

E = mc^2 \tag{1}

Use \tag*{text} for tags without parentheses, or \notag to suppress numbering in aligned environments.

Examples

Here are some common real-world formulas to get you started:

Formula	LaTeX
Quadratic formula	x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}
Euler’s identity	e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0
Gaussian integral	\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} e^{-x^2} dx = \sqrt{\pi}
Basel series	\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2} = \frac{\pi^2}{6}
Binomial coefficient	\binom{n}{k} = \frac{n!}{k!(n-k)!}
Chemical formula	2\text{H}_2 + \text{O}_2 \to 2\text{H}_2\text{O}

Subscript and Superscript

Quick subscript and superscript formatting with inline formulas

Code Blocks

Insert and format code blocks with syntax highlighting

Markdown Shortcuts

Format text with markdown-style shortcuts including inline equations