In a traditional word processor, writing a complex equation feels like a scavenger hunt. You click through ribbons and menus, searching for a square root symbol or a Greek letter. This breaks the “flow” of thought.

As a Textsmith, I treat math like prose.

The Typst Advantage

In Typst, symbols are called by their names. If I want to write the area of a circle, I don’t “insert” anything. I simply type:

$ pi r^2 $

The system understands the logic. It’s accessible to screen readers, it’s easy to version control with Git, and it looks beautiful on the page.

Alternatives: AsciiMath

For those who find LaTeX too verbose, AsciiMath offers a shorthand that feels almost like natural handwriting.

  • Typst: $ root(n, x) $
  • AsciiMath: root(n)(x)
  • MS Word: [Seven clicks and a frustrated sigh]

We choose plaintext because we want to spend our time solving equations, not searching for them.

Forged in the terminal. Refined under the anvil.