CoffeeWriting maths in Markdown
Checked November 2026 against GitHub's docs on mathematical expressions, VS Code's Markdown docs and the pandoc manual. Coffee isn't affiliated with any of them.
Markdown has no maths of its own. The common convention, borrowed from LaTeX, is to put TeX between dollar signs: $…$ for maths inside a sentence and $$…$$ for a formula on its own line. Whether it's drawn as a formula depends entirely on the app or site that shows the file. Everywhere else it stays as readable text, which is the point.
Inline and block maths
Inline maths sits in a sentence:
The area of a circle is $\pi r^2$.Block maths gets its own lines, with $$ above and below:
$$
x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}
$$Some tools also accept the block on one line, as $$ x^2 + y^2 = z^2 $$. Keep the dollar signs tight against the maths for inline use. Pandoc, for one, treats $x$ as maths but not $ x $, so that a price followed by a space isn't mistaken for a formula.
The TeX you'll actually use
You don't need to learn LaTeX to write most formulas. This short list covers a lot of everyday maths:
| To get | Write |
|---|---|
| Superscript, subscript | x^2, a_n, x^{10}, a_{ij} |
| Fraction | \frac{a}{b} |
| Square root, nth root | \sqrt{x}, \sqrt[3]{x} |
| Greek letters | \alpha, \beta, \pi, \Sigma |
| Operators | \times, \div, \pm, \leq, \geq, \neq, \approx |
| Sum and integral with limits | \sum_{i=1}^{n} i, \int_0^1 x\,dx |
| Limit | \lim_{x \to 0} \frac{\sin x}{x} |
| Brackets that grow | \left( \frac{a}{b} \right) |
| Words inside maths | \text{if } x > 0 |
| Number sets | \mathbb{R}, \mathbb{N} |
| Binomial | \binom{n}{k} |
Braces group things. x^10 puts only the 1 up high, while x^{10} raises both digits. Spaces inside TeX are mostly ignored, so \, adds a thin space where you want one.
Matrices and cases
A matrix uses & between columns and \\ between rows:
$$
\begin{pmatrix}
1 & 0 \\
0 & 1
\end{pmatrix}
$$pmatrix gives round brackets, bmatrix square ones, vmatrix vertical bars, and plain matrix none. For a function defined in pieces, use cases:
$$
|x| = \begin{cases}
x & \text{if } x \geq 0 \\
-x & \text{if } x < 0
\end{cases}
$$Where it renders
- GitHub renders both forms in Markdown files, issues, pull requests, discussions and wikis, using MathJax. It also accepts inline maths wrapped in a dollar sign and a backtick on each side, for maths that clashes with Markdown, and a fenced code block marked
mathfor blocks. - VS Code's built-in preview renders maths with KaTeX.
- Pandoc reads
$and$$maths through itstex_math_dollarsextension, described in its manual, and can turn it into proper maths in HTML, Word, EPUB or PDF. - Many Markdown editors draw it, often with an option to turn it on. Check yours.
Where none of that happens, such as a plain text editor or a site without maths support, the reader sees the TeX. That's readable enough for simple formulas and the reason to keep them tidy.
The dollar-sign trap
The catch with $ is money. A line like "tickets cost $5 or $10" contains two dollar signs, and a careless renderer will treat 5 or as a formula. Most tools apply rules to avoid it. Pandoc's, for example, need a character other than a space just inside each $, and no digit straight after the closing one. Other tools' rules differ.
GitHub's advice is to write \$ for a literal dollar sign inside a formula, and to wrap one in <span>$</span> when it shares a line with maths. If a note mixes prices and maths, check how it looks wherever it's going to be read.
In Coffee
Coffee draws $$ blocks as formulas, under the block, while you write. A block is a $$ line, the TeX lines, then a closing $$ line, or $$ … $$ on one line. It draws them itself, without a web view, and the formula appears in PDF, print, HTML, Word and EPUB exports too.
It covers what's in the table above: Greek letters, operators, scripts, \frac, \sqrt and \sqrt[n], sums and integrals with limits, \lim, \left and \right, accents, \text, \mathbb, \binom, and the matrix, pmatrix, bmatrix, vmatrix and cases environments. TeX it doesn't know is left showing as source rather than drawn wrongly.
Some limits to know:
- Inline
$…$isn't drawn. It's shown in italic, so it stands out from the sentence, but it stays as TeX. Put anything that matters in a block. - Prices stay prices.
$5 or $10is left as money. - It's everyday TeX, not all of LaTeX. There's no LaTeX export, and Coffee doesn't use pandoc. For a thesis full of maths, a LaTeX workflow may suit you better.
The file keeps exactly what you typed, so the same note renders on GitHub or through pandoc later. Exports carry the drawn formula, so a PDF or an EPUB shows the maths properly. Coffee's calculations are a different thing, worked out beside ordinary lines rather than typeset.
Questions
How do I write an equation in Markdown?
Put TeX between dollar signs: $x^2$ inside a sentence, or $$ on the lines above and below a formula of its own. Whether it's drawn depends on the app or site showing the file.
Does GitHub support maths in Markdown?
Yes. GitHub renders $…$ inline maths and $$…$$ blocks with MathJax, in Markdown files, issues, pull requests, discussions and wikis.
How do I write a dollar sign without starting maths?
On GitHub, write \$ inside a formula, or wrap the dollar sign in a span when it shares a line with maths. Other tools have their own rules, so check how a price looks before publishing.
Does Coffee render inline maths?
No. Inline $…$ is shown in italic but stays as TeX. Coffee draws $$ blocks as formulas, in the editor and in exports.