[X3D-Public] Fwd: W3C Integrates Math on the Web with MathML 3 (News Release)

[Don Brutzman]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	W3C Integrates Math on the Web with MathML 3 (News Release)
Resent-Date: 	Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:42:54 +0000
Resent-From: 	w3c-ac-members at w3.org
Date: 	Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:42:50 -0700
From: 	Ian Jacobs <ij at w3.org>
To: 	W3C Members <w3c-ac-forum at w3.org>



Dear Advisory Committee Representative,
W3C issued today a press release related to publication of MathML 3.0
as a Recommendation:
http://www.w3.org/2010/09/mathml-pr
The text of the release may be found below. See also Member
testimonials:
http://www.w3.org/2010/09/mathml-testimonials

Thank you,
Ian Jacobs, Head of W3C Communications
====================================
W3C Integrates Math on the Web with MathML 3

HTML5-Compatible Addition Helps Bridge Accessibility Divide

http://www.w3.org/ -- 21 October 2010 -- W3C announces today an
important standard for making mathematics on the Web more accessible
and international, especially for early mathematics education. MathML
3 is the third version of a standard supported in a wide variety of
applications including Web pages, e-books, equation editors,
publishing systems, screen readers (that read aloud the information on
a page) and braille displays, ink input devices, e-learning and
computational software.

MathML 3 is part of W3C's Open Web Platform, which includes HTML5,
CSS, and SVG. Browser vendors will add MathML 3 support as they expand
their support for HTML5. Firefox and Camino already support MathML 2
natively, and Safari/WebKit nightly builds continue to improve. Opera
supports the MathML for CSS profile of MathML 3. Internet Explorer
users can install a freely-available MathPlayer plug-in. In addition,
JavaScript software such as MathJax enables MathML display in most
browsers without native support.

MathML 3 Enhances Math Accessibility for Education

There is dizzying variation around the world in the visual layout of
even the most common operations, including multiplication, long
division, subtraction, and "carries" and "borrows" for addition.
MathML 3 introduces new support for representing this diversity of
notational styles while maintaining sufficient mathematical structure
so that problems can be spoken comprehensibly by assistive technology
such as screen readers.

"We've incorporated MathML vocabulary into the DAISY Standard and it
has proved very effective for middle and upper level math and
science," say George Kerscher, Secretary General of the DAISY
Consortium, a W3C Member devoted to developing and promoting
accessibility standards. "With MathML 3 support for elementary math
notation, materials used to teach math in elementary schools can now
be made accessible. This will make production of math faster, cheaper,
and better for those with print disabilities."

MathML 3 Makes the Language of Science More International

Although many people think of mathematics as an international
language, mathematical notations can vary greatly from region to
region. An extreme case is the right-to-left layout of equations
encountered in Arabic texts and other right-to-left languages.

"We have been working for the past five years converting Arabic school
books to electronic documents, but, we have always faced problems with
mathematical books which rely on custom layout and fonts," says Adil
Allawi, Technical Director of Diwan Software Limited, a vendor of
Arabic language publishing software. "The right-to-left features of
MathML 3.0 will make a real difference in the Arab education field. It
makes it possible, for the first time, to build standards-based and
truly interoperable electronic maths books for students in the Arab
countries."


--
Ian Jacobs (ij at w3.org) http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs/
Tel: +1 718 260 9447