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Fylepad includes full support for mathematical notation through KaTeX, a fast and easy-to-use LaTeX math renderer. You can create beautifully formatted mathematical equations for academic papers, technical documentation, and educational content.

Creating math blocks

You can insert a math block in three ways:
  1. Type $$ followed by a space and press Enter
  2. Type :::math and press Enter
  3. Use the slash command menu (/) and select “Math Block”
Math blocks render automatically as you type. If you see an error message, check your LaTeX syntax.

Basic operations

Arithmetic

E = mc^2
Renders as: E = mc²
a + b = c
x - y = z
a \times b = c
a \div b = c

Fractions

Use \frac{numerator}{denominator} for fractions:
\frac{a}{b}
\frac{x^2 + 2x + 1}{x + 1}
\frac{\partial f}{\partial x}

Superscripts and subscripts

x^2 + y^2 = z^2
a_1 + a_2 + a_3 + ... + a_n
x^{2n+1}
a_{i,j}

Advanced expressions

Square roots

\sqrt{x}
\sqrt[3]{x}
\sqrt{x^2 + y^2}

Calculus

Derivatives:
\frac{d}{dx}(x^2) = 2x
Integrals:
\int_{0}^{\infty} e^{-x} dx = 1
Limits:
\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{1}{x} = 0
Summation:
\sum_{i=1}^{n} i = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}
Product:
\prod_{i=1}^{n} i = n!

Greek letters

Lowercase:
\alpha, \beta, \gamma, \delta, \epsilon, \theta, \lambda, \mu, \pi, \sigma, \omega
Uppercase:
\Gamma, \Delta, \Theta, \Lambda, \Xi, \Pi, \Sigma, \Omega

Trigonometry

\sin(x), \cos(x), \tan(x)
\sin^2(x) + \cos^2(x) = 1
\arcsin(x), \arccos(x), \arctan(x)

Matrices and vectors

Vectors

\vec{v} = \begin{bmatrix} x \\ y \\ z \end{bmatrix}

Matrices

A = \begin{bmatrix}
a_{11} & a_{12} & a_{13} \\
a_{21} & a_{22} & a_{23} \\
a_{31} & a_{32} & a_{33}
\end{bmatrix}

Determinants

\det(A) = \begin{vmatrix}
a & b \\
c & d
\end{vmatrix} = ad - bc

Common mathematical expressions

Quadratic formula:
x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}
Binomial theorem:
(x + y)^n = \sum_{k=0}^{n} \binom{n}{k} x^{n-k} y^k

Formatting and styling

Text in equations

Use \text{} to include regular text:
\text{Area} = \pi r^2

Spacing

Control spacing with these commands:
  • \, - thin space
  • \: - medium space
  • \; - thick space
  • \quad - 1em space
  • \qquad - 2em space

Alignment

For multi-line equations:
\begin{aligned}
f(x) &= x^2 + 2x + 1 \\
     &= (x + 1)^2
\end{aligned}

Special symbols

  • \leq ≤ (less than or equal)
  • \geq ≥ (greater than or equal)
  • \neq ≠ (not equal)
  • \approx ≈ (approximately equal)
  • \equiv ≡ (equivalent)
  • \sim ∼ (similar to)
  • \pm ± (plus-minus)
  • \mp ∓ (minus-plus)
  • \cdot · (multiplication dot)
  • \times × (times)
  • \div ÷ (division)
  • \nabla ∇ (nabla/del)
  • \partial ∂ (partial derivative)
  • \in ∈ (element of)
  • \notin ∉ (not element of)
  • \subset ⊂ (subset)
  • \supset ⊃ (superset)
  • \cup ∪ (union)
  • \cap ∩ (intersection)
  • \emptyset ∅ (empty set)
  • \forall ∀ (for all)
  • \exists ∃ (exists)
  • \neg ¬ (negation)
  • \land ∧ (logical and)
  • \lor ∨ (logical or)
  • \implies ⇒ (implies)
  • \iff ⇔ (if and only if)

Real-world examples

Physics

Newton’s second law:
F = ma
Schrödinger equation:
i\hbar\frac{\partial}{\partial t}\Psi = \hat{H}\Psi
Lorentz factor:
\gamma = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^2}{c^2}}}

Computer science

Big O notation:
O(n \log n)
Recurrence relation:
T(n) = 2T(\frac{n}{2}) + \Theta(n)

Economics

Compound interest:
A = P\left(1 + \frac{r}{n}\right)^{nt}

Engineering

Ohm’s law:
V = IR
Reynolds number:
Re = \frac{\rho vL}{\mu}

Tips for writing equations

Preview as you type: Math blocks render in real-time. Watch the preview to catch syntax errors immediately.
Use brackets consistently: Matching brackets {} are required for superscripts, subscripts, and fractions with multiple characters.
Reference KaTeX documentation: For advanced symbols and commands, check the KaTeX support table.
Some LaTeX commands are not supported by KaTeX. If an equation doesn’t render, verify that all commands are KaTeX-compatible.

Common errors and solutions

ErrorCauseSolution
Missing closing bracketUnmatched { or }Count your brackets carefully
Undefined control sequenceUnknown commandCheck command spelling or use alternative
Extra alignment tabWrong alignment syntaxUse \\ for line breaks, & for alignment
Missing $ insertedIncorrect modeEnsure you’re in a math block

Exporting equations

When you export your note as Markdown, math blocks are preserved in standard LaTeX syntax:
$$
E = mc^2
$$
This format is compatible with:
  • GitHub (with certain limitations)
  • Jupyter Notebooks
  • R Markdown
  • Academic publishing platforms
  • Most LaTeX processors

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