Nowadays, unless you want to do a complex formula - say integrating between a range or summation with range, then you can just use unicode symbols.
E.g. here is your symbol as a unicode character (most modern browsers should show it okay): ⨯
It is very similar to the multiplication sign: ×
- just a bit larger.
More here
http://www.fileformat.info/info/...
And here
Mathematical Operators
Or from the unicode site
Mathematical Operators
Then just use copy / paste.
Whether they work depends on the font used. And the program also. Most fonts nowadays have unicode support - at least if used in web pages and the like. Also most modern programs to, all modern web browsers as far as I know.
But unicode is a flexible format with many symbols that are rarely needed that are sometimes only present in some fonts. E.g. Chinese symbols or Japanese symbols may not be present in a font designed for English text.
Similarly some of the more obscure symbols used in maths (and in music etc) - may not show up in all browsers.
For instance this one:
U+22F8 ELEMENT OF WITH UNDERBAR ⋸
Just shows up as a square here, most likely for most people reading this.
They usually show as a square if the font does not support it.
That one should look like this
Rather a fun site here - draw any character and it will try to find the unicode character that looks most like it.
Draw the Unicode character you want!
This is their rendering of your cross product
Unicode character information
If you come across a rare one, not in the usual unicode fonts available to your readers - then you need to use an image instead.
If you need complex formulae with limits etc, you need to use Latex or similar to make the image. You can make mathematical formulae in Wikipedia quite easily for instance.
Or use this online Latex editor
Online LaTeX Equation Editor
Once you have a latex formula - then show it magnified, turn into an image, and you can embed it into your text as an image.
But - the most used maths symbols are generally supported in all the unicode fonts - so you only need to think about that if using rarely used symbols.
E.g. here is your symbol as a unicode character (most modern browsers should show it okay): ⨯
It is very similar to the multiplication sign: ×
- just a bit larger.
More here
http://www.fileformat.info/info/...
And here
Mathematical Operators
Or from the unicode site
Mathematical Operators
Then just use copy / paste.
Whether they work depends on the font used. And the program also. Most fonts nowadays have unicode support - at least if used in web pages and the like. Also most modern programs to, all modern web browsers as far as I know.
But unicode is a flexible format with many symbols that are rarely needed that are sometimes only present in some fonts. E.g. Chinese symbols or Japanese symbols may not be present in a font designed for English text.
Similarly some of the more obscure symbols used in maths (and in music etc) - may not show up in all browsers.
For instance this one:
U+22F8 ELEMENT OF WITH UNDERBAR ⋸
Just shows up as a square here, most likely for most people reading this.
They usually show as a square if the font does not support it.
That one should look like this
Rather a fun site here - draw any character and it will try to find the unicode character that looks most like it.
Draw the Unicode character you want!
This is their rendering of your cross product
If you come across a rare one, not in the usual unicode fonts available to your readers - then you need to use an image instead.
If you need complex formulae with limits etc, you need to use Latex or similar to make the image. You can make mathematical formulae in Wikipedia quite easily for instance.
Or use this online Latex editor
Online LaTeX Equation Editor
Once you have a latex formula - then show it magnified, turn into an image, and you can embed it into your text as an image.
But - the most used maths symbols are generally supported in all the unicode fonts - so you only need to think about that if using rarely used symbols.
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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