Operation Manual

What is Math?
Math is LibreOffice’s component for writing mathematical and chemical equations. It is most
commonly used as an equation editor for text documents, but it can also be used with other types
of documents or stand-alone. When used inside Writer, the equation is treated as an object inside
the text document.
Note
The equation editor is for writing equations in symbolic form, as in equation 1. If you
want to evaluate a numeric value, see the Calc Guide.
df (x )
dx
=ln(x )+tan
−1
(x
2
)
(1)
or
NH
3
+H
2
O⇌NH
4
+
+OH
−
Getting started
You can create an equation (formula) as a separate document or insert it into a document in Writer
or another component of LibreOffice.
Creating an equation as a separate document
To create an equation as a separate document, open the Math component of LibreOffice using one
of these methods:
• On the menu bar, choose File > New > Formula.
• On the Standard Toolbar, click the triangle to the right of the New icon and choose
Formula.
• From the Start Center, click Formula.
An empty formula document opens (see Figure 259).
Figure 259: An empty formula document
260 | Getting Started with LibreOffice 4.0