Creating equations

This article explains how to create and edit equations in MathType, insert mathematical structures, move through an equation using the keyboard, and use symbols that automatically scale to fit their contents.

Before you begin

The MathType window contains two main areas:

• A tabbed toolbar containing symbols, templates, and formatting options.
• An editing area where you create your equation and see the current cursor position or selected content.

When you finish editing the equation, click Insert to save your changes. Click Cancel to close MathType without saving them.

Create a basic equation

You can enter and edit text in MathType as you would in other WYSIWYG editors:

• Type characters using the keyboard.
• Move the cursor using the arrow keys or the Home and End keys.
• Hold Shift while moving the cursor to select part of the equation.
• Click within the equation to reposition the cursor.
• Click and drag to select part of the equation.

Use keyboard shortcuts

Insert symbols

To insert a symbol:

1. Place the cursor where you want to insert the symbol. This position is called the insertion point.
2. Open the tab containing the symbol.
3. Select the symbol.

For example, to write ∀α:

1. Select the tab.
2. Select the ∀ symbol.
3. Select the tab.
4. Select the α symbol.

Format an equation

You can apply the following font styles to selected content:

• Regular
• Bold
• Italic
• Bold and italic

The default style is Automatic italic. When this option is active, MathType identifies different types of symbols and formats them accordingly.

To override the formatting selected by MathType:

1. Select the part of the equation you want to change.
2. Disable Automatic italic.
3. Apply the required font style.

Insert mathematical structures

MathType templates organize the different expressions within an equation. You can insert an empty template and then complete it, or apply a template to content you have already entered.

Insert a template containing one expression

For example, you can create a square root in either of the following ways.

Insert the template first

1. In the General tab, select the icon.
2. Type x inside the square root.

Apply the template to existing content

1. Type x.
2. Select x.
3. In the General tab, select the icon.

You can use either method with any template containing a single expression.

Insert a template containing multiple expressions

Templates such as fractions contain more than one expression:

You can create a fraction using either of the following methods.

Insert an empty fraction

1. In the General tab, select the icon.
2. Type the numerator.
3. Click the denominator placeholder or press ↓.
4. Type the denominator.

Apply a fraction to existing content

1. Type the numerator.
2. Select the numerator.
3. In the General tab, select the icon.
4. Click the denominator placeholder or press ↓.
5. Type the denominator.

Other templates may contain up to five expressions, but you can complete them using the same method.

Exit a mathematical structure

When you finish entering content in a structure, use the arrow keys to move the insertion point outside it before continuing to type.

This is particularly important when working with structures such as summations. If the limits move when you enter the expression following a summation:

1. Undo the changes until only the summation and its limits remain.
2. Check the length of the horizontal and vertical parts of the insertion point.
3. If the insertion point is still inside the summation, press ↓ and then →.
4. Once the insertion point is outside the summation, type the remaining expression.

The following image shows the insertion point inside and outside the summation:

Move through an equation with the keyboard

The arrow keys behave as expected when you move through ordinary text. Within mathematical structures, they also move the insertion point between the different parts of the structure.

The following example shows how the insertion point moves through a fraction:

Action	Result
The insertion point is initially in the denominator.
Press ← to move through the text in the denominator.
Press ← again to move from the denominator to the numerator.
Press ↓ to move from the numerator to the denominator.
Press → to move outside the fraction. The horizontal and vertical parts of the insertion point become larger, indicating that the insertion point now applies to the entire fraction. Any content you enter at this point appears outside the fraction.
Press Backspace on Windows or Delete on macOS to select the complete fraction. Press the key again to delete it.

To select part of an equation, hold Shift while moving the insertion point with the arrow keys. You can also click and drag over the required content.

After selecting content, you can cut, copy, paste, delete, or format it as you would in another application.

Use scaling symbols and fences

Mathematical structures can contain other symbols and structures. Many MathType symbols and templates automatically expand to match the size of their contents.

For example, a square root expands as its contents become larger:

Fences also scale automatically when you insert them using the icons in the General tab.

To insert non-scaling parentheses, brackets, or braces, type them directly using the keyboard.

Create an expression with scaling parentheses

The following example shows how to create an expression enclosed by scaling parentheses and then raise it to the third power:

1. In the General tab, select the icon.
2. Type the expression inside the parentheses.

1. Move the insertion point to the right of the closing parenthesis.
2. In the General tab, select the icon.

1. Type 3. The insertion point is already inside the superscript placeholder.

If you type the opening and closing parentheses using the keyboard instead of selecting the scaling parentheses template, the parentheses do not expand to match the expression: