# Background

An answer for typing questions in has been added to MathJax basic tutorial and quick reference since one year.

# Problem

I attempted to find it by on this site with keyword "linear programming". Unluckily, the search results didn't show the desired MathJax tutorial.

Why is the tutorial hidden from the search result? How can this community wiki (CW) post be improved so that it's searcheable with "linear programming"?

# Why this is relevant

## Importance of using MathJax for mathematical discourse

Exception: It's reported that MathJax's support for commutative diagrams is primitive and AMScd's syntax differs greatly from that of the usual $$\rm\LaTeX$$ packages that mathematicians usually use. I am not using them, so I can't judge on that.

## Benefits of pictures in learning

Scientific researches has shown that human mind perceives images much faster than text. Therefore, A picture is worth a thousand words.

## Situation in linear-programming

Despite the possibility of typing tables in MathJax, many users are still posting images like this.

It's quite tedious/difficult to reconstruct a simplex from text in some questions like Minimisation using Simplex Tableau. Due to the amount of effort needed, such questions are less likely to be answered.

IMHO, a nice MathJax template for simplex tableau has the following benefits when compared to images.

$$\begin{array}{rrrrrr|r} & x_1 & x_2 & s_1 & s_2 & s_3 & \\ \hline s_1 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 8 \\ s_2 & 1 & -1 & 0 & 1 & 0 & 4 \\ s_3 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 12 \\ \hline & -1 & -1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{array}$$

• takes up less size (both file size and visual size)
• better resolution
• easier to reproduce and manipulate (with a text editor like Vim, Emacs, etc)

## Negative impact of pic questions to the site's SEO

Avoid using pictures as essential part of post is not simply a SE network's policy, but a way to be nice with others, especially to those who use screen readers and to search bots who can't interpret images, such as DuckDuckGo's search bot and Approach0.1 Having pic questions is bad for the site in terms of search engine optimisation (SEO) since there's no relevant keyword for the search bot to grab in a pic question.

## Conclusion

• Images convey messages much faster than text.
• They can be used for illustration purposes.
• They are not shortcut to typing math/text.
• Text is much better than images in terms of SEO
• Use MathJax if possible
• MathJax tutorial for provides templates for LPPs and simplex tableaux.
• Be nice to each other, including those who can and cannot view images

1 With an exception to , like questions due to the subject nature.

• I was able to find your addition to the tutorial using search terms [mathjax] and simplex. Note that the tag mathjax rather than the simple search term mathjax is helpful here because the tags are pulled from the framing Question (and need not be repeated in the post itself). – hardmath Feb 16 '19 at 17:10