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                        Elementary math

                        Reading time: 1min

                        MathML has long been useful for notations used in algebra and higher math, but describing the two-dimensional layout used in elementary math required tedious layout using mtable, with each digit in its own column and clever tricks to get the lines to come out correctly. This was both difficult to do and the result was inaccessible. MathML 3 adds support for a wide variety of notations used in lower grade math for:

                        • addition, subtraction, and multiplication (with carries/borrows)
                        • long division
                        • repeating digits in decimal numbers

                        Here are some examples:

                        subtraction with borrows long division (US, etc., style) repeating decimal

                        The support for these notations is very flexible in MathML 3 to handle the wide variety of notations that are used around the world. The flexibility allows for:

                        • different positions for the operator in addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems
                        • different positions for the carries
                        • different styles of cross-outs
                        • control over the length, position, and thickness of lines
                        • different notations for long division
                        • different notations for showing repeating decimals

                        For more examples, including a video showing how MathPlayer will speak these for accessibility, see our elementary math examples page. For complete details about the elements and attributes used for elementary math, see Section 3.6 of the MathML 3 recommendation.

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