<SUB> and <SUP> can be used on their own in running text (I don't know
what they are useful for, but anyway). But in a formula, I would like
to see less ambiguous markup. Consider:
2
E=c m <MATH>E=c<SUP>2</SUP>m</MATH>
Does the `2' belong to the `c' or to the `m'?
Ideal would be a syntax that is easy to format, yet still allowed
unambigous translation for input to an equation solver. It may require
that the author insert `invisible parentheses' like <BOX></BOX> to
make the meaning clear. Wasn't Phil Hallam-Baker working on such a
system?
There are several solutions:
1. Use different tags for different meanings (<POWER>, <ATOM>)
2. Use the same tag (<SUP>), but with a ROLE attribute
3. Attach a role attribute to the formula as a whole ("MATH", "CHEM")
Bert
-- Bert Bos Alfa-informatica <bert@let.rug.nl> Rijksuniversiteit Groningen <http://www.let.rug.nl/~bert/> Postbus 716, NL-9700 AS GRONINGEN