# Is using MathJax for questions required after having other users edit my questions already multiple times?

I am well aware that you do not necessarily have to write questions in MathJax if you are not fluent with this kind of language. However someone recently pointed out that I should really be learning this, since I have already asked numerous questions. Is MathJax necessary after having asked already many questions? As to learning it, I really don't have time as of the moment but would be interested in doing so in the future.

I just really love asking questions here and wonder if my inability to use such a language would hinder me from doing it here and just lead me to post questions on other sites.

• Is it required? No. Is it strongly recommended? Yes. And in general, for research level mathematics, $\rm\LaTeX$ is almost a necessary skill. – Asaf Karagila Aug 15 '20 at 9:04
• For the simplest usage you are essentially adding just dollar signs, _, ^ and \'s here and there. That shouldn't take long to learn. – Arctic Char Aug 15 '20 at 9:16
• Older related discussion: Three strike rule to using MathJax. Other questions linked there might be of interest too. – Martin Sleziak Aug 15 '20 at 9:31
• Try this one. P.S. the introduction part is not valid on this site. – UmbQbify Aug 15 '20 at 11:12
• Also, I'd like to add that it is rather unfair to post questions hoping someone else will take their own time to edit your post to format it properly, and yet some other users will take their own time to answer it. EVERYONE here, moderators, answerers, editors, EVERYONE are strictly volunteering their time to help others. The more effort and time you invest to ask and format good questions, such effort and time is more likely to yield helpful results. No one gets paid, on this site, to do such things for you. – amWhy Aug 15 '20 at 21:57
• Besides, the Mathjax help page is extremely simple to follow. It only requires like $15$ minutes to go through. Just the question part of the meta post is sufficient to format the question decently.(I didn't have a good look at the answers till I reached like $500$ rep) – sai-kartik Aug 16 '20 at 3:19
• As others have said it isn't absolutely necessary but in most cases it makes questions much easier to read, and I would say that clear and easy to read questions are more of a requirement. So I guess whether the skill is necessary kind of depends on your perspective. Personally, I would highly recommend becoming familiar with the basics. It's simple to learn and makes it easier for everyone to follow, so there's really no reason not to. – SeraPhim Aug 16 '20 at 10:28
• By the way, here are some links for a basic mathjax tutorial and a reference for mathjax commands. You can find everything you need and more from these two links. – SeraPhim Aug 16 '20 at 10:49

No, it's not necessary, but it's in your own interest to do so. Properly formatted questions are easier to read, comprehend and answer. Some users might be reluctant or outright refuse to answer questions which aren't properly formatted. So by not using MathJax, you're reducing the chance to get a good answer; if the question is difficult or otherwise not interesting enough, you might lose the only chance you have at an answer.

As a bonus, learning MathJax is an excellent introduction into $$\rm\LaTeX$$, which could be helpful if you later decide to embark on a career in Mathematics or a related field.