Getting Started Guide

Chapter 9
Getting Started with Math
LibreOffice’s Formula (Equation) Editor

CopyrightThis document is Copyright © 2021 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors arelisted below. You may distribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU General
Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative
Commons Attribution License (https//creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), version 4.0 or later.
All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Contributors
To this edition
Jean Hollis Weber

Kees Kriek

To previous editionsPeter Schofield
Rafael Lima
Jean Hollis Weber
Regina HenschelGisbert Friege (Dmaths)
Bernard Siaud
Roman Kuznetsov

Hazel Russman
Winston Min Tjong
John A Smith
Christian Kühl
Jochen Schiffers
Steve Fanning
Dave Barton

Laurent Balland-Poirier
Kees Kriek
Martin Saffron
Florian Reisinger
Frédéric Parrenin
Olivier Hallot

Feedback
Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to the Documentation Team’s
mailing list: documentation@global.libreoffice.org

Note
Everything you send to a mailing list, including your email address and any otherpersonal information that is written in the message, is publicly archived and cannot
be deleted.

Publication date and software version
Published June 2021. Based on LibreOffice 7.1 Community.
Other versions of LibreOffice may differ in appearance and functionality.

Using LibreOffice on macOS
Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows andLinux. The table below gives some common substitutions for the instructions in this document.
For a detailed list, see the application Help.
Windows or LinuxmacOS equivalent

EffectTools > Options
menu selection

LibreOffice > Preferences

Access setup options

Right-click

Control+click or right-click
depending on computer setup

Open a context menu

Ctrl (Control)⌘ (Command)

Used with other keys

F11

⌘+T

Open the Styles deck in the Sidebar

Documentation for LibreOffice is available at https://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/Contents
Copyright............................................................................................................................2
Contributors.............................................................................................................................. 2
Feedback.................................................................................................................................. 2
Publication date and software version.......................................................................................2
Using LibreOffice on macOS.....................................................................................................2

Introduction........................................................................................................................5
Getting started...................................................................................................................5
Formulas as separate documents or files..................................................................................5
Formulas in LibreOffice documents...........................................................................................6

Creating formulas..............................................................................................................7
Elements dock.......................................................................................................................... 8Context menu............................................................................................................................ 8
Markup language...................................................................................................................... 9
Greek characters.................................................................................................................... 10
Formula examples................................................................................................................... 11

Editing formulas..............................................................................................................12
Formula layout.................................................................................................................12
Using braces........................................................................................................................... 12
Brackets (parentheses) and matrices......................................................................................13
Unpaired brackets................................................................................................................... 14
Recognizing functions............................................................................................................. 15
Formulas over multiple lines....................................................................................................15
Spacing within formulas.......................................................................................................... 15
Adding limits to sum/integral commands.................................................................................16
Writing derivatives................................................................................................................... 16
Markup language characters as normal characters.................................................................17
Text in formulas....................................................................................................................... 17
Formatting text in formulas......................................................................................................18
Aligning formulas using equals sign........................................................................................18

Changing formula appearance.......................................................................................18
Formula font size..................................................................................................................... 19
Formula fonts.......................................................................................................................... 20
Adjusting formula spacing.......................................................................................................21
Adjusting formula alignment....................................................................................................23
Changing formula color........................................................................................................... 24
Applying colors using RGB values..........................................................................................25

Formula library................................................................................................................25
Using Math.............................................................................................................................. 25
Using Writer, Calc, Draw, or Impress.......................................................................................25
Using your formula library.......................................................................................................26

Getting Started with Math | 3

Formulas in Writer...........................................................................................................26
Automatic formula numbering.................................................................................................26
Cross referencing....................................................................................................................26
Anchoring formulas................................................................................................................. 27
Vertical alignment.................................................................................................................... 28
Object spacing........................................................................................................................ 29
Text mode............................................................................................................................... 29
Background and borders.........................................................................................................30
Quick insertion of formulas......................................................................................................31

Formulas in Calc, Draw, and Impress...........................................................................31
Anchoring formulas................................................................................................................. 32
Formula object properties....................................................................................................... 32
Formulas in charts...................................................................................................................32

Customization..................................................................................................................33
Floating dialogs....................................................................................................................... 33
Adding keyboard shortcuts......................................................................................................34
Catalog customization.............................................................................................................34
Editing symbols....................................................................................................................... 36
Formula spacing..................................................................................................................... 36
Extensions.............................................................................................................................. 37

Exporting and Importing.................................................................................................37
Math ML format....................................................................................................................... 37
Microsoft file formats...............................................................................................................37

4 | Getting Started with MathIntroduction
Math is a formula editor module included with LibreOffice that allows you to create or edit
formulas (equations) in a symbolic form, within LibreOffice documents or as stand-alone objects.
Example formulas are shown below:

df (x)=ln (x)+tan −1 (x 2) or NH3 +H2 O ⇌NH+4 +OH −dx
The Formula Editor in Math uses a markup language to represent formulas. This markup
language is designed to be easily read wherever possible. For example, a over b using
markup language produces the fractionawhen used in a formula.
b

Getting started
Using the Formula Editor, you can create a formula as a separate document or file for a formula
library, or insert formulas directly into a document using LibreOffice Writer, Calc, Impress, or
Draw.

Formulas as separate documents or files
To create a formula as a separate document or file, use one of the following methods to open an
empty formula document in LibreOffice Math (Figure 1):•

On the Menu bar, go to File > New > Formula.

•

On the Standard toolbar, click the triangle to the right of the New icon and selectFormula.

•In the Start Center, click Math Formula.

•

From within LibreOffice Math, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N.

•

You can also launch Math from the command line using libreoffice --mathFigure 1: An empty formula document in Math
Getting started | 5

As you enter the markup language in the Formula Editor, the formula will appear in the Preview
window during and after input of the markup language. The Elements Dock to the left of thePreview window may also appear, if these have been selected in View on the Menu bar. Figure 2
illustrates how to enable the Elements dock in Math. For more information on creating formulas,see “Creating formulas” on page 7.

Figure 2: Enabling the Elements Dock

Formulas in LibreOffice documents
To insert a formula into a LibreOffice document, open the document in Writer, Calc, Draw, orImpress. The LibreOffice module you are using affects how you position the cursor to insert theformula.
•In Writer, click in the paragraph where you want to insert the formula.

•

In Calc, click in the spreadsheet cell where you want to insert the formula.

•

In Draw and Impress, the formula is inserted into the center of the drawing or slide.

Then, go to Insert > Object > Formula on the Menu bar to open the Formula Editor.
Alternatively, go to Insert > Object > OLE Object on the Menu bar to open the Insert OLE
Object dialog, then select Create new option, choose the Object Type “LibreOffice Formula”
and then click OK to open the Formula Editor. The Elements Dock to the left of the Preview
window and/or the Elements dialog as a floating dialog may also appear, if these have been
selected in View on the Menu bar.
Figure 3 shows an example Writer document with the formula box selected ready for a formula to
be entered.
When you have completed entering the markup language for your formula, close the Formula
Editor by pressing the Esc key or by clicking an area outside the formula in your document.
Double-clicking on the formula object in the document will open the Formula Editor again so thatyou can edit the formula.
Formulas are inserted as OLE objects into documents. You can change how the object is placed
within the document, as with any OLE object. For more information on OLE objects, see“Formulas in Writer” on page 26, “Formulas in Calc, Draw, and Impress” on page 31, and theuser guides for Writer, Calc, Draw, and Impress.

6 | Getting Started with Math

Figure 3: Empty formula in a Writer document
If you frequently insert formulas into documents, it is recommended to add the Formula button to
the Standard toolbar or create a keyboard shortcut. See “Customization” on page 33 for more
information.

Creating formulas
You can insert a formula using one of the following methods:•

In the Elements dock, select a category in the drop-down list, then a symbol.

•

Right-click in the Formula Editor and select a category, then a symbol in the context
menu.

•

Enter markup language directly in the Formula Editor.

Note
Using the Elements dock or the context menus to insert a formula provides aconvenient way to learn the markup language used by Math.

Tip
When using the Elements dock, it is recommended to have Extended tips selected in
the LibreOffice Options. This will help you identify the categories and symbols you
want to use in the formula. Go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > General andselect Extended tips in the Help section.

Creating formulas | 7

Elements dock
The Elements dock can be used when entering formula data.
1) Go to View > Elements on the Menu bar to open the Elements dock (Figure 4).
2) Select the category you want to use in your formula in the drop-down list at the top of the
Elements Dock.
3) Select the symbol you want to use in the formula in the Elements Dock. The symbols thatare available change according to the selected category.
4) After choosing one of the symbols in the Elements Dock, the Formula Editor will be
updated with the Markup notation of the selected symbol.

Figure 4: Elements dock

Note
The Elements dock can either be a floating dialog, as shown in Figure 4, or
positioned to the left of the Formula Editor, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3.

Tip
The Elements Dock also provides an Examples category which provides example
formulas to use as a starting point for your formula or equation.

Context menu
The Formula Editor also provides a context menu to access categories and symbols whencreating a formula. Right-click in the Formula Editor to open the context menu. Select a category
and then select the markup example that you want to use in the sub-context menu. An example
is shown in Figure 5.

Note
The Elements Dock and the context menu contain only the most common
commands that are used in formulas. To insert other symbols and commands notlisted in the Elements Dock and context menu, you have to enter them manuallyusing the markup language. For a complete list of commands and symbols available
in Math, see Appendix A, Commands Reference, in the Math Guide.

8 | Getting Started with Math

Figure 5: Context menu in Formula Editor

Markup language
Markup language is entered directly into the Formula Editor. For example, typing the markup
language 5 times 4 into the Formula Editor creates the simple formula 5×4 . If you areexperienced in using markup language, it can be the quickest way to enter a formula. Table 1
shows some examples of using markup language to enter commands. For a full list of commands
that can be used in the Formula Editor, see Appendix A, Commands Reference, in the Math
Guide.
Table 1: Example commands using markup language
Display

Display

Commanda = b√asqrt {a}

a^2

an

a_n

∫ f ( x)dx

int f(x) dx∑ ansum a_na≤ba <= b∞infinity

a×b

a times bx⋅yx cdot y

a=b

a

2

CommandCreating formulas | 9

Greek characters
Using markup language
Greek characters are commonly used in formulas, but they cannot be entered into a formulausing the Elements dock or the context menu. Use the English names of Greek characters inmarkup language when entering Greek characters into a formula. See Appendix A, Commands
Reference, in the Math Guide for a list of characters that can be entered using markup language.
•

For a lowercase Greek character, type a percentage % sign, then type the charactername in lowercase using the English name. For example, typing %lambda creates the
Greek character λ .

•For an UPPERCASE Greek character, type a percentage % sign, then type the charactername in UPPERCASE using the English name. For example, typing %LAMBDA creates
the Greek character Λ.

•

For an italic Greek character, type a percentage % sign followed by the i character, thenthe English name of the Greek character in lower or UPPER case. For example, typing%iTHETA creates the italic Greek character Θ .

Symbols dialog
Greek characters can also be entered into a formula using the Symbols dialog.
1) Make sure your cursor is in the correct position in the Formula Editor.
2) Go to Tools > Symbols on the Menu bar, or click the Symbols icon in the Tools toolbar,
to open the Symbols dialog (Figure 6).
3) Select Greek in the Symbol set drop-down list. For italic characters, select iGreek in thedrop-down list.
4) Double-click the Greek character you want to insert or select it and click Insert. Whenselected, the name of the character is shown below the symbol list.
5) Click Close when you have finished entering Greek characters into your formula.

Figure 6: Symbols dialog

10 | Getting Started with MathFormula examples
Example 1
The simple formula

5×4

can be created using LibreOffice Math as follows:

1) Make sure your cursor is flashing in the Formula Editor, then select the category
Unary/Binary Operators and symbol Multiplication using one of the following methods:– In the Elements Dock, select Unary/Binary Operators in the drop-down list and thenselect the Multiplication icon.
– Right-click in the Formula Editor and select Unary/Binary Operators > a times b in
the context menu.
– Using markup language, enter 5 times 4 in the Formula Editor.
– The first two methods place the formula text <?> times <?> in the Formula Editor
and the symbol
appears in the document. For the third method, using markup
language in the Formula Editor places the formula 5×4 directly into the document
and there is no need to carry out the following steps.
2) Select the first placeholder <?> before the word times in the Formula Editor and replace
it with the character 5. The formula in the document updates automatically.
3) Select the second placeholder <?> after the word times in the Formula Editor andreplace it with the character 4. The formula in the document updates automatically.

Tip
To move forward from one placeholder to the next placeholder in a formula, press
the F4 key. To move backward from one placeholder to the previous placeholder in aformula, use the key combination Shift+F4.

Note
If necessary, you can prevent a formula in a document from updating automatically.
Go to View on the Menu bar and deselect AutoUpdate display. To then manually
update a formula, press the F9 key or select View > Update on the Menu bar.

Example 2
You want to enter the formula π ≃ 3.14159 where the value of pi is rounded to 5 decimal
places. You know the name of the Greek character (pi), but do not know the markup associatedwith the Is Similar Or Equal symbol ≃ .
1) Make sure your cursor is flashing in the Formula Editor.
2) Enter %pi in the Formula Editor to enter the Greek character for pi (π).
3) Select the category Relations and symbol Is Similar Or Equal using one of the following
methods:– In the Elements dock, select Relations in the drop-down list and then select the Is
Similar Or Equal icon.
– Right-click in the Formula Editor and select Relations > a simeq b in the context
menu.
4) Delete the first placeholder <?> before the word simeq in the Formula Editor.
5) Select the second placeholder <?> after the word simeq in the Formula Editor andreplace it with the characters 3.14159. The formula π ≃ 3.14159 now appears in the
document.
Creating formulas | 11

Editing formulas
How you edit a formula and switch into formula editing mode depends on whether the formula isin Math or another LibreOffice component.
1) In Math, double-click on a formula element in the formula that appears in the Preview
window to select the formula element in the Formula Editor, or directly select a formulaelement in the Formula Editor.
2) In Writer, Calc, Impress, or Draw, double-click on the formula, or right-click on the formulaand select Edit in the context menu, to open the Formula Editor and enter editing mode.
The cursor is positioned at the start of the formula in the Formula Editor.

Note
If you cannot select a formula element using the cursor, click on the Formula Cursor
icon in the Tools toolbar to activate the formula cursor.
3) Select the formula element you want to change using one of the following methods:– Click on the formula element in the Preview window, positioning the cursor at the
beginning of the formula element in the Formula Editor, then select the formulaelement in the Formula Editor.
– Double-click on the formula element in the Preview window to select the formulaelement in the Formula Editor.
– Position the cursor in the Formula Editor at the formula element you want to edit, thenselect that formula element.
– Double-click directly on the formula element in the Formula Editor to select it.
4) Make your changes to the formula element you have selected.
5) Go to View > Update on the Menu bar, or press the F9 key, or click on the Update iconon the Tools toolbar to update the formula in the Preview window or your document.
6) In Math, save your changes to the formula after editing.
7) In Writer, Calc, Impress, or Draw, click anywhere in the document away from the formula
to leave editing mode, then save the document to save your changes to the formula.

Formula layout
This section provides some advice on how to lay out complex formulas in Math or in yourLibreOffice document.

Using braces
LibreOffice Math knows nothing about order of operations within a formula. You need to use
braces (curly brackets) to define the order of operations. The following examples show how
braces can be used in a formula.
Example 1
2 over x + 1 gives the result2+1x

Math has recognized that the 2 before and the x after the over command as belonging to
the fraction, and has represented them accordingly. If you want x +1 rather than x tobe the denominator, you must bracket them together using braces so that both will beplaced there.

12 | Getting Started with Math

Inserting braces into 2 over {x + 1} gives the result2
where x +1 is now thex+1

denominator.
Example 2– 1 over 2 gives the result−12Math has recognized the minus sign as a prefix for the 1 and has therefore placed it in the
numerator of the fraction. If you wish to show that the whole fraction is negative, with theminus sign in front of the fraction, you must put the fraction in braces to signify to Math thatthe characters belong together.
Adding braces into the markup language – {1 over 2} gives the result –1
and the2

whole fraction is now negative.
Example 3
When braces are used in markup language, they are used to define the layout of theformula and are not displayed or printed. If you want to use braces within a formula, use
the commands lbrace and rbrace within the markup language.
x over {–x + 1} gives the result

x
– x+1

Replace the braces using the commands lbrace and rbrace in the markup language.
Write x over lbrace –x + 1 rbrace and the result isx{– x +1}

Brackets (parentheses) and matrices
If you want to use a matrix in a formula, you have to use the matrix command. Below is a
simple example of a 2 x 2 matrix.
matrix { a # b ## c # d }

a b
c d

In matrices, rows are separated by two hashes (##) and entries within each row are separated by
one hash (#).
Normally, when you use brackets within a matrix, the brackets do not scale as the matrix
increases in size. The example below shows a formula where the parentheses do not scale tothe size of the resulting matrix.
( matrix { a # b ## c # d } )

(

a b
)
c d

To overcome this problem of brackets in a matrix, LibreOffice Math provides scalable brackets
that grow in size to match the size of the matrix. The commands left( and right) have to be
used to create scalable brackets around a matrix. The following example shows how to create amatrix with scalable parentheses.
left( matrix { a # b ## c # d } right)(ac bd )Scalable brackets can also be used with any element of a formula, such as fraction, square root,and so on.

Formula layout | 13

If you want to create a matrix where some values are empty, you can use the grave accent (`) sothat Math will put a small space in that position, as shown in the example below:
left( matrix { 1 # 2 # 3 ##4 # ` # 6 } right)( 14 2 36 )Tip
Use the commands left[ and right] to obtain square brackets. A list of allbrackets available within Math can be found in Appendix A, Commands Reference,of the Math Guide.

Tip
If you want all brackets to be scalable, go to Format > Spacing on the Menu bar toopen the Spacing dialog. Click on Category, select Brackets in the drop-down list,
and then select the option Scale all brackets.

Unpaired brackets
When using brackets in a formula, Math expects that for every opening bracket there will be aclosing one. If you forget to add a closing bracket, Math places an inverted question mark next towhere the closing bracket should have been placed. For example, lbrace a; b will result in¿ because the right bracket rbrace is missing.
This inverted question mark disappears when all the brackets are paired. The previous example
could be fixed to lbrace a; b rbrace, resulting in {a ; b}. However, there are cases where an
unpaired bracket is necessary and for that you have the following options.

Non scalable brackets
A backslash \ is placed before a non scalable bracket to indicate that the subsequent charactershould not be regarded as a bracket, but rather as a literal character.
For example, the unpaired brackets in the formula [ a; b [ would result in an inverted
question mark because Math expects that [ will be closed by ]. To fix the error, you can use thebackslash and insert \ [ a; b \ [ into the Formula Editor to obtain [a ; b [ as the result.

Scalable brackets
To create unpaired scalable brackets or braces in a formula, the markup commands left,right, and none can be used.
ExampleThe following formula uses the stack command to create a two-line formula and adds abracket only to the right side of the stack.
abs x = left lbrace stack {x "for" x>= 0 # -x "for" x < 0} right none|x|= x for x≥0−x for x <0{This effect can be achieved by using the left lbrace command combined with theright none command. The first command indicates that the left bracket is a lbracewhereas the second command tells Math that the right bracket will be none, meaning thatno bracket will be added to the right side of the formula.

14 | Getting Started with Math

Recognizing functions
In the basic installation of Math, Math outputs functions in normal characters and variables initalic characters. However, if Math fails to recognize a function, you can tell Math that you havejust entered a function. Enter the markup command func before a function forces Math torecognize the following text as a function and uses normal characters.
For a full list of functions within Math, see Appendix A, Commands Reference, in the Math Guide.
Some Math functions have to be followed by a number or a variable. If these are missing, Mathplaces an inverted question mark where the missing number or variable should be. To remove
the inverted question mark and correct the formula, you have to enter a number, a variable, or apair of empty brackets as a placeholder.

Tip
You can navigate through errors in a formula using the F3 key to move to the next
error or the key combination Shift+F3 to move to the previous error.

Formulas over multiple lines
Suppose you want to create a formula that requires more than one line, for example x=3 .

y=1Your first reaction would be to press the Enter key. However, if you do that, the markup languagein the Formula Editor goes to a new line, but the resulting formula does not have two lines. To
add a new line to the formula you need to use the markup command newline.
ExampleThe examples below illustrate how the markup command newline can be used to add a
new line to a formula. The first one simply adds an Enter to break the line in the markup
language, which does not result in adding a new line. The second example uses the
newline command, yielding a two-line formula.
Markup Language

Resulting Formula

x = 3
y = 1

x=3 y=1

x = 3 newline y = 1

x=3
y=1

It is not possible in Math to create multiple line formulas when a line ends with an equals
sign and you want to continue the formula on a new line without completing the term on theright side of the equals sign. If you require a multiple line formula to have an equals sign atthe end of a line without a term after the equals sign, then use either empty quotes “” or
empty braces {} or the space characters grave ` or tilde ˜.
By default, a multiple line formula is center aligned. For more information on alignment
using the equals sign, see “Customization” on page 33.

Spacing within formulas
Spacing between the elements in a formula is not set by using space characters in the markup
language. If you want to add spaces into your formula, use one of the following options:•

Grave ` to add a small space.

•

Tilde ~ for a large space.

•

Add space characters between quotes “ ”. These spaces will be considered as text.
Formula layout | 15

Any spaces at the end of a line in the markup language are ignored by default. For more
information, see “Customization” on page 33.

Adding limits to sum/integral commands
The sum and int commands, used for summations and integrals respectively, can take theparameters from and to if you want to set the lower and upper limits. The parameters from andto can be used singly or together as shown by the following examples. For more information on
the sum and integral commands, see Appendix A, Commands Reference, in the Math Guide.
ExamplesNext you’ll find some examples of how to add upper and lower bounds to summations andintegrals. Note that you can use brackets to explicitly define which parts of the formula
correspond to the desired bounds.
Markup Language

Resulting Formulansum from k = 1 to n a_k

∑ ak
k=1
∞

sum to infinity 2^{-n}sum from{ i=1 } to{ n } sum
from{ j=1; i <> j } to{ m } x_ij

∑ 2−n
n

m

∑ ∑ x ij
i=1 j=1 ;i≠ jx

int from 0 to x f(t) dt∫ f (t)dt0x

int_0^x f(t) dt∫0 f (t)dt

int from Re f∫ℜ f

Writing derivatives
When writing derivatives, you have to tell Math that it is a fraction by using the over command.
The over command is combined with the character d for a total derivative or the partialcommand for a partial derivative to achieve the effect of a derivative. Braces {} are used in eachside of the elements to surround them and make the derivative, as shown by the following
examples.
ExamplesBelow are a few examples of how you can use Math to write derivatives.
Markup Language

Resulting Formula{df} over {dx}dfdx{partial f} over {partial y}∂f∂y{partial^2 f} over {partial t^2}

∂ f
2
∂t

16 | Getting Started with Math

2

Note
To write function names with primes, as is normal in school notation, you must first
add the symbols to the catalog. See “Customization” on page 33 for more
information.

Markup language characters as normal characters
Characters that are used as controls in markup language cannot be entered directly as normal
characters. These characters are: %, {, }, &, |, _, ^ and ". For example, you cannot write
2% = 0.02 in markup language and expect the same characters to appear in your formula. To
overcome this limitation in markup language, use one of the following methods:•

Use double quotes to mark that character as text, for example 2"%"= 0.02 will appear
in your formula as 2 %=0.02 . However, this method cannot be used for the doublequote character itself, see “Text in formulas” below.

•

Add the character to the Math Catalog, for example the double quote character.

•

Use commands, for example lbrace and rbrace give you literal braces {} .

Note
The Special Characters dialog used by other LibreOffice modules is not available in
Math. If you are going to regularly require special characters in Math, then it isrecommended to add the characters to the Math Catalog; see “Customization” onpage 33 for more information.

Text in formulas
To include text in a formula, you have to enclose any text in double-quotes, for example x "for " x >= 0 in markup language will create the formula x for x≥0 . All characters, except
double quotes, can be used in text.
However, if you require double quotes in formula text, then you have to create the text withdouble quotes in LibreOffice Writer, then copy and paste the text into the Formula Editor, as
shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Example of double quotes in formula text
The font used for text in a formula will be the default font that has been set in the Fonts dialog.
For more information on how to change fonts used for in formulas, see “Changing formulaappearance” on page 18.
By default, text alignment is left-justified in formulas. For more information on how to change textalignment, see “Adjusting formula alignment” on page 23.

Formula layout | 17

Formatting text in formulas
Formatting commands are not interpreted within text used in formulas. If you want to use
formatting commands within formula text, then you must break up the text using double quotes in
the Formula Editor.
ExampleEnter the following in the Formula Editor:"In " color blue bold "isosceles" "triangles, the base angles areequal"
creates the following text in a formula In isosceles triangles, the base angles are equal .
This example shows how to use the markup commands color and bold to format theword “isosceles”. Note that the commands are applied to the immediately subsequent text
within double quotes. Hence, the formatting commands do not apply to the remainder of
the text in the example because it is in a separate quote block.

Aligning formulas using equals sign
LibreOffice Math does not have a command for aligning formulas on a particular character.
However, you can use a matrix to align formulas on a character and this character is normally theequals sign (=). In addition, you can use the markup commands alignr, alignl and alignc
to set the alignment of each value inside the matrix to the right, left or center, respectively.
ExampleBelow is an example that uses a matrix to align formulas on the equals sign. Notice how
the alignment commands align the contents of each position in the matrix.
matrix{ alignr x+y # {}={} # alignl 2## alignr x # {}={} # alignl 2-y }

x+ y
x

= 2
= 2− yNote
The empty braces each side of the equals sign are necessary because the equals
sign is a binary operator and requires an expression on each side. You can use
spaces, or ` or ~ characters each side of the equals sign, but braces arerecommended as they are easier to see within the markup language.
You can reduce the spacing on each side of the equals sign if you change the inter-column
spacing of the matrix. See “Adjusting formula spacing” on page 21 for more information.

Changing formula appearanceThis section describes how to change the font or font size in a selected formula and how tochange the default font or font size.

Note
If you have already inserted formulas into your document and you change thedefault font or font size, only formulas inserted after the change in default font or
font size will use the new default settings. You have to individually change the font or
font size of formulas already inserted if you want these formulas to use the same fontor font size as the default settings.

18 | Getting Started with Math

Tip
The extension “Formatting of all Math formulas” allows you to change font name andfont size for all or only for selected formulas in a document. You can download it andread the installation and usage instructions here:
https://extensions.libreoffice.org/extensions/show/formatting-of-all-math-formulas

Formula font size
Current formula font size
To change the font size used for a formula already inserted in Math or another LibreOfficecomponent:
1) Click in the markup language in the Formula Editor.
2) Go to Format > Font size on the Menu bar to open the Font Sizes dialog (Figure 8).
3) Select a different font size using the Base size spinner or type a new font size in the Base
Size box.
4) Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog. An example result when you change
font size is shown below.
ExampleDefault font size 12pt: π ≃ 3.14159
After font size change to 18pt:

π ≃ 3.14159

Figure 8: Font Sizes dialog

Default formula font size
To change the default font size used for all formulas in Math or another LibreOffice component:
1) Before inserting any formulas in your document, go to Format > Font size on the Menu
bar to open the Font Sizes dialog (Figure 8).
2) Select a different font size using the Base size spinner or type a new font size in the Base
size box.
3) Click Default and confirm your changes to the base size font. Any formulas created fromthis point on will use the new base size font for formulas.
4) Click OK to save your changes and close the Font Sizes dialog.

Changing formula appearance | 19

Font size options
The Font Sizes dialog (Figure 8) specifies the font sizes for a formula. Select a base size and allelements of the formula will be scaled in relation to this base.
•Base size – all elements of a formula are proportionally scaled to the base size. Tochange the base size, select or type in the desired point (pt) size. You can also use otherunits of measure or other metrics, which are then automatically converted to points. For
example, if you enter 1in or 1”, Math converts the value to 72 pt.

•

Relative Sizes – in this section, you can determine the relative sizes for each type ofelement with reference to the base size.

•

Default – click this button to save any changes as a default for all new formulas. A
confirmation message appears.

Formula fonts
Current formula fonts
To change the fonts used for the current formula in Math or another LibreOffice component:
1) Click in the markup language in the Formula Editor.
2) Go to Format > Fonts on the Menu bar to open the Fonts dialog (Figure 9).

Figure 9: Fonts dialog
3) Select a new font for each of the various options in the drop-down lists.
4) If the font you want to use does not appear in the drop-down list, click Modify and selectthe option in the context menu to open a fonts dialog. Select the font you want to use andclick OK to add it to the drop-down list for that option.
5) Click OK to save your changes and close the Fonts dialog.

Default formula fonts
To change the default fonts used for all formulas in Math or another LibreOffice component:
1) Before inserting any formulas in your document, go to Format > Fonts on the Menu bar
to open the Fonts dialog (Figure 9).
2) Select a new font for each of the various options in the drop-down lists.

20 | Getting Started with Math3) If the font you want to use does not appear in the drop-down list, click Modify and selectthe option in the context menu to open a fonts dialog. Select the font you want to use andclick OK to add it to the drop-down list for that option.
4) Click Default and confirm your changes to the fonts. Any formulas created from this point
on will use the new font for formulas.
5) Click OK to save your changes and close the Fonts dialog.

Formula font options
Defines the fonts that can be applied to formula elements.
•

Formula Fonts – defines the fonts used for the variables, functions, numbers andinserted text that form the elements of a formula.

•

Custom Fonts – in this section of the Fonts dialog (Figure 9), fonts are defined which
format other text components in a formula. The three basic fonts Serif, Sans, and Fixed
are available. Other fonts can be added to each standard installed basic font using theModify button. Every font installed on a computer system is available for use.

•

Modify – click one of the options in the drop-down menu to access the Fonts dialog,
where the font and attributes can be defined for the respective formula and for custom
fonts.

•

Default – click this button to save any changes as a default for all new formulas. A
confirmation message appears.

Note
When a new font is selected for a formula, the old font remains in the list alongside
the new one and can be selected again.

Note
Variables should be written in italics, so make sure that the Italic option is selected.
For the font you want to use. For all other elements, use the basic form of a font. The
style can be easily altered in the formula itself by using the commands italic orbold to set these characteristics and nitalic or nbold to unset them.

Adjusting formula spacing
Use the Spacing dialog (Figure 10) to determine the spacing between formula elements. The
spacing is specified as a percentage in relation to the defined base size for font sizes.

Figure 10: Spacing dialog

Changing formula appearance | 21

Current formula spacing
To change the spacing used for the current formula in Math or another LibreOffice component:
1) Click in the markup language in the Formula Editor.
2) Go to Format > Spacing on the Menu bar to open the Spacing dialog (Figure 10).
3) Click Category and select one of the options in the drop-down list. The options in the
Spacing dialog change according to the category selected.
4) Enter new values for the spacing category and click OK.
5) Check the result in your formula. If not to your satisfaction, repeat the above steps.

Default formula spacing
To change the default spacing used for all formulas in Math or another LibreOffice component:
1) Before inserting any formulas in your document, go to Format > Spacing on the Menu
bar to open the Spacing dialog (Figure 10).
2) Click Category and select one of the options in the drop-down list. The options in the
Spacing dialog change according to the category selected.
3) Enter new values for the spacing category.
4) Click Default and confirm your changes to the formula spacing. Any formulas createdfrom this point on will use the new spacing for formulas.
5) Click OK to save your changes and close the Spacing dialog.

Note
If you have already inserted formulas into your document and you change thespacing, only formulas inserted after the change in spacing will use the new default
settings. You have to individually change the spacing of formulas already inserted if
you want these formulas to use the same spacing as the default settings.

Spacing options
Use Category in the Spacing dialog (Figure 10) to determine the formula element for which you
would like to specify the spacing. The appearance of the dialog depends on the selectedcategory. A preview window shows you which spacing is modified through the respective boxes.
•

Category – pressing this button allows you to select the category for which you would
like to change the spacing.

•Spacing – defines the spacing between variables and operators, between lines, andbetween root signs and radicals.

•

Indexes – defines the spacing for superscript and subscript indexes.

•

Fractions – defines the spacing between the fraction bar and the numerator or
denominator.

•

Fraction Bars – defines the excess length and line weight of the fraction bar.

•

Limits – defines the spacing between the sum symbol and the limit conditions.

•

Brackets – defines the spacing between brackets and the content.
– Excess size (left/right) – determines the vertical distance between the upper edge ofthe contents and the upper end of the brackets.
– Spacing – determines the horizontal distance between the contents and the upper endof the brackets.

22 | Getting Started with Math– Scale all brackets – scales all types of brackets. If you then enter (a over b) in the
Formula Editor, the brackets will surround the whole height of the argument. You
normally achieve this effect by entering left (a over b right).
– Excess size – adjusts the percentage excess size. At 0% the brackets are set so thatthey surround the argument at the same height. The higher the entered value is, thelarger the vertical gap between the contents of the brackets and the external border ofthe brackets. The field can only be used in combination with Scale all brackets.
•

Matrices – defines the relative spacing for the elements in a matrix.
– Line spacing – determines the spacing between matrix elements in a row.
– Column spacing – determines the spacing between matrix elements in a column.

•

Symbols – defines the spacing of symbols in relation to variables– Primary height – defines the height of the symbols in relation to the baseline.
– Minimum spacing – determines the minimum distance between a symbol andvariable.

•

Operators – defines the spacing between operators and variables or numbers.
– Excess size – determines the height from the variable to the operator upper edge.
– Spacing – determines the horizontal distance between operators and variables.

•

Borders – adds a border to a formula. This option is particularly useful if you want tointegrate the formula into a text file in Writer. When making settings, make sure that you
do not use 0 as a size as this creates viewing problems for text that surrounds theinsertion point.

•

Preview Field – displays a preview of the current selection.

•

Default – saves any changes as default settings for all new formulas. A confirmation
dialog will appear before saving these changes.

Adjusting formula alignment
The alignment settings determine how formula elements located above one another are aligned
horizontally relative to each other.

Note
It is not possible to align formulas on a particular character and formula alignment
does not apply to text elements. Text elements are always aligned left.

Note
Independent of using formula alignment given below, it is possible to align formulas
using the commands alignl, alignc and alignr. These commands also work fortext elements.

Current formula alignment
To change the alignment used for the current formula in Math or another LibreOffice component:
1) Click in the markup language in the Formula Editor.
2) Go to Format > Alignment on the Menu bar to open the Alignment dialog (Figure 11).
3) Select either Left, Centered, or Right for horizontal alignment.
4) Click OK and check the result in your formula. If not to your satisfaction, repeat the above
steps.
Changing formula appearance | 23

Figure 11: Alignment dialog

Note
Regardless of the alignment option selected in the Alignment dialog, it is possible toalign sections of a formula using the commands alignl, alignc and alignr. For
example, they can be useful to align formulas in matrices. These commands also
work for text elements.

Default formula alignment
To change the default alignment used for all formulas in Math or another LibreOffice component:
1) Before inserting any formulas in your document, go to Format > Alignment on the Menu
bar to open the Alignment dialog (Figure 11).
2) Select either Left, Centered, or Right for horizontal alignment.
3) Click Default and confirm your changes to the formula alignment. Any formulas createdfrom this point on will use the new alignment for formulas.
4) Click OK and check the result in your formula. If not to your satisfaction, repeat the above
steps.

Note
If you have already inserted formulas into a document and you change the formulaalignment, only formulas inserted after the change in alignment will use the newdefault settings. You have to individually change the alignment of formulas alreadyinserted if you want these formulas to use the same alignment as the default settings.

Changing formula color
Character color
Formula color for the characters used in a formula is changed by using the command color in
the markup language. This command only works on the formula element immediately after thecolor name. For example, entering the markup language color red 5 times 4 gives theresult 5×4 . Note that only the number 5 was colored red.
To change the color of the whole formula, you have to enclose the whole formula within brackets.
For example, entering the markup language color red {5 times 4} gives the result 5×4 .
Math now has full support for named HTML colors. Some of them have been added to the
Attributes section of the Elements dock (Figure 4 on page 8). For information on the colors
available in Math, see Appendix A, Commands Reference, in the Math Guide.

24 | Getting Started with Math

Applying colors using RGB values
Alternatively, it is possible to use custom colors defined using RGB (Red, Green and Blue) values
ranging from 0 to 255. This is done by using the color rgb R G B markup command, where
R, G and B correspond to the Red, Green and Blue values of the desired color.
ExampleBelow is an example where the term “decision variable” uses the color sienna, which isdefined by the RGB values 160, 82 and 45.
"Let " x_ij " be a " color rgb 160 82 45 "decision variable " "in
the problem under consideration"
Math will create the following output:

Let x ij be a decision variable in the problem under consideration

Background color
It is not possible to select a background color for formulas in LibreOffice Math. The backgroundcolor for a formula is by default the same color as the document or frame that the formula has
been inserted into. In LibreOffice documents, you can use object properties to change thebackground color for a formula. See “Background and borders” on page 30.

Formula library
If you regularly insert the same formulas into your documents, you can create a formula libraryusing formulas that you have created using the Formula Editor. Individual formulas can be saved
as separate files using the ODF format for formulas with the file suffix of .odf, or in MathML
format with the file suffix of .mml.
You can use either LibreOffice Math, Writer, Calc, Draw, or Impress to create formulas and build
up your formula library.

Using Math
1) Create a folder on your computer to contain your formulas and give the folder amemorable name, for example Formula Library.
2) In LibreOffice, go to File > New > Formula on the Menu bar, or click on Math Formula in
the opening splash screen to open Math and create your formula using the Formula
Editor. See “Formulas as separate documents or files” on page 5 for more information.
3) Go to File > Save As on the Menu bar or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+S to opena Save As dialog.
4) Navigate to the folder you have created for your formula library.
5) Type a memorable name for the formula in the File name box.
6) Select in the File type drop-down list either ODF Formula (.odf) or MathML 2.0 (.mml) as
the file type for the formula.
7) Click Save to save the formula and close the Save As dialog.

Using Writer, Calc, Draw, or Impress
1) Create a folder on your computer to contain your formulas and give the folder amemorable name, for example Formula Library.
2) Open a document using Writer, Calc, Draw, or Impress.
3) Go to Insert > Object > Formula on the Menu bar to open the Formula Editor and create
your formula. See “Formulas in LibreOffice documents” on page 6 for more information.
Formula library | 25

4) Right-click on the formula object and select Save Copy as in the context menu to open a
Save As dialog.
5) Navigate to the folder you have created for your formula library.
6) Type a memorable name for the formula in the File name box.
7) Select in the File type drop-down list either ODF Formula (.odf) or MathML 2.0 (.mml) as
the file type for the formula.
8) Click Save to save the formula and close the Save As dialog.

Using your formula library
You cannot insert a formula from your library into a document by dragging and dropping using themouse, nor by using Insert > File on the Menu bar. You must insert the formula as an OLE
object.
1) Open the document in Writer, Calc, Draw, or Impress.
2) Go to Insert > Object > OLE Object on the Menu bar to open the Insert OLE Object
dialog.
3) Select the option Create from file.
4) Click Search to open a file browser dialog.
5) Navigate to the folder you have created for your formula library.
6) Select the formula you want to insert and click Open, or double-click on the formula.
7) Click OK to insert the formula as an OLE object in the document and close the dialog.

Formulas in Writer
When a formula is inserted into a document, LibreOffice Writer inserts the formula into a frame
and treats the formula as an OLE object. Double-clicking on an inserted formula will open the
Formula Editor in LibreOffice Math allowing you to edit the formula.
This section explains what options you can change for each individual formula within a Writer
document. Please refer to the chapters on styles in the Writer Guide for information on how tochange the default settings for frame styles for OLE objects.

Automatic formula numbering
Automatic numbering of formulas for cross reference purposes can only be carried out in
LibreOffice Writer. The easiest way to add numbered formulas in sequence is to use the AutoText
entry fn (for 'formula numbered') using the following steps:
1) Start a new line in your document.
2) Type fn and then press the F3 key. A two column table with no borders is inserted into
your document with the left column containing a sample formula and the right column
containing a reference number, as shown below.

E=mc

2

(1)

3) Delete the sample formula and insert your formula as an object in the left column.
4) Alternatively, you can first insert your formula into the document, then carry out Steps 1
and 2 above replacing the sample formula with your formula.

Cross referencing
1) Click in your document where you want the cross reference to appear.
2) Go to Insert > Cross-reference on the Menu bar to open the Fields dialog (Figure 12).
26 | Getting Started with Math3) Click on the Cross-references tab, then select Text in the Type section.
4) In the Selection section, select the formula number you want to refer to.
5) In the Insert reference to section, select Reference and click Insert.
6) When you have finished creating cross references, click Close to close the Fields dialog.

Figure 12: Fields dialog – Cross-references tab

Tip
To insert the cross reference number without parentheses, select Numbering insteadof Reference in the Insert reference to section.

Note
If you want to use square parentheses instead of round ones, or if you want thecross reference number to be separated from the formula by tabs instead of using atable, then refer to the chapter on automatic text in the Writer Guide.

Anchoring formulas
A formula is treated as an object within Writer and its default anchoring is To character within aparagraph when it is inserted into a document. To change the anchoring of a formula object:
1) Right-click on the selected formula object and select Anchor in the context menu.
2) Select a new anchoring option in the context sub-menu. The anchoring positions
available are To Page, To Paragraph, To Character, or As Character.
3) Alternatively, right-click on the selected formula object and select Properties in thecontext menu, or go to Format > Frame and Object > Properties on the Menu bar toopen the Object dialog (Figure 13).
Formulas in Writer | 27

4) Make sure the Type tab is selected and select a new anchoring position from the Anchor
section in the upper right of the tab.
5) Click OK to save your changes and close the Object dialog.

Figure 13: Object dialog – Type tab with Anchor options

Note
The anchoring options are not available in the Object dialog when you are making
changes to the options available for frame styles. For more information on how tomodify frame styles, please refer to the chapters on styles in the Writer Guide.

Vertical alignment
The normal default setting for vertical alignment for formula objects is to use the text base line asa reference. This default setting can be changed by modifying the Formula frame style; see thechapters on styles in the Writer Guide for more information.
To change the vertical alignment position of an individual formula object (assuming that the As
character anchoring option is selected):
1) Right-click on the selected formula object and select Properties in the context menu, or
go to Format > Frame and Object > Properties to open the Object dialog (Figure 13).
2) Make sure the Type tab is selected and select a new alignment position in the drop-down
list in the Position section. The vertical alignment options available are Top, Bottom,
Center, or From bottom.
3) If necessary, type in the text box a plus or minus value for vertical alignment. This option
is only available if From bottom vertical alignment has been selected.
4) Select the type of text alignment in the drop-down list in the Position section. The textalignment options available are Base line, Character, and Row.
5) Click OK to save your changes and close the Object dialog.

Note
If the Position section in the Object dialog is grayed out and not available, then go toTools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Formatting Aids and uncheck the option
Math baseline alignment. This setting is stored with the document and applies to all
formulas within it. Any new documents created will also use this setting for Mathbaseline alignment.

28 | Getting Started with Math

Object spacing
A formula object, when inserted into a Writer document, has spacing each side of the formula
object. The default value used for spacing is set within the frame style for formula objects andcan be changed by modifying the Formula frame style, see the chapters on styles in the Writer
Guide for more information.
You can individually adjust the spacing for each formula object within your document as follows:
1) Create your formula in your Writer document.
2) Right-click on your selected formula object and select Properties in the context menu, or
go to Format > Frame and Object > Properties on the Menu bar to open the Object
dialog.
3) Click on the Wrap tab to open the Wrap page in the Object dialog (Figure 14).
4) In the Spacing section, enter the spacing value for Left, Right, Top and Bottom spacing.
5) Click OK to save your changes and close the Object dialog.

Figure 14: Object dialog – Wrap tab

Text mode
In large formulas placed within a line of text, the formula elements can often be higher than the
text height. Therefore, to make large formulas easier to read, it is recommended to always insert
large formulas into a separate paragraph of their own so that it is separated from text.
However, if it is necessary to place a large formula within a line of text, double-click on theformula to open the Formula Editor and then go to Format > Text Mode on the Menu bar. The
Formula Editor will try to shrink the formula to fit the text height. The numerators anddenominators of fractions are shrunk, and the limits of integrals and sums are placed beside theintegral/sum sign, as shown in the following example.
ExampleA formula in a separate paragraph:
5

∑ i2
i=2

and the same formula embedded into a line of text using text mode format:∑5i=2 i 2

Formulas in Writer | 29

Background and borders
The default setting for background (area fill) and borders for formula objects is set by the formulaframe style. To change this default setting for formula frame style, refer to the chapters on styles
in the Writer Guide. However, for individual formulas in your document, you can change thebackground and borders.

Note
The size of the frame that a formula is placed in when inserted into a document
cannot be changed. The frame size for a formula object depends on the setting of
the formula font size, see “Formula font size” on page 19 for more information.
Backgrounds
1) In your document, select the formula where you want to change the background.
2) Right-click on the formula and select Properties in the context menu, or go to Format >Frame and Object > Properties on the Menu bar to open the Object dialog.
3) Click on the Area tab and use the buttons to select the type of fill you want to use for yourformula (Figure 15).
4) Select the options you want to use for your formula background. The options change
depending on the type of fill selected.
5) Click OK to save your changes and close the Object dialog.

Figure 15: Object dialog – Area tab
Borders
1) In your document, select the formula where you want to change the borders.
2) Right-click on the formula and select Properties in the context menu, or go to Format >Frame and Object > Properties on the Menu bar to open the Object dialog.

30 | Getting Started with Math3) Click on the Borders tab and select the options you want to use for your formula borders(Figure 16).
4) Click OK to save your changes and close the Object dialog.

Figure 16: Object dialog – Borders tab

Quick insertion of formulas
If you know the markup language for your formula, you can quickly insert it into your Writer
document without opening the Formula Editor as follows:
1) Enter the formula markup language into your document at the position where you want
the formula to be placed.
2) Select the markup language.
3) Go to Insert > Object on the Menu bar and select Formula to create a formula from theselected markup language.
4) Alternatively you can use the key combination Ctrl + Insert to open the “Insert OLE
Object” dialog and then select Formula.

Formulas in Calc, Draw, and Impress
In Calc, Draw, and Impress, formulas are inserted as OLE objects without any background (areafill) or borders. Each formula object is inserted into a spreadsheet, drawing, or slide as follows:•

In Calc, formulas are inserted into a selected cell in a spreadsheet with no style assigned
to the formula object.

•

In Draw and Impress, formulas are inserted into a central position on your drawing or
slide and, by default, are assigned the drawing object style Object with no fill and no line.
For more information on how to modify or assign drawing object styles, see the Draw
Guide or the Impress Guide.
Formulas in Calc, Draw, and Impress | 31

Anchoring formulas
Calc
A formula object can be anchored into a spreadsheet as To Page (default setting), or as To Cell.
To change the anchoring type of formulas in a Calc spreadsheet:
1) Select the formula object in the spreadsheet.
2) Right-click on the formula and select Anchor > To Page or To Cell in the context menu
3) Alternatively, go to Format > Anchor on the Menu bar and select To Page or To Cell.

Tip
If you insert a formula into a Calc spreadsheet and it appears out of scale, you can
fix it by right-clicking the formula object and then selecting the Original Size option
in the context menu.

Draw and Impress
When a formula is inserted into a drawing or slide, it is inserted as a floating OLE object and is
not anchored to any particular position in a drawing or slide.

Formula object properties
Formula objects in Calc, Draw, and Impress can be modified just like any other object that has
been placed in your spreadsheet, drawing, or presentation, with the exception of formula object
size and changing the format of any text within a formula. For more information on how to change
object properties, see the Calc Guide, Draw Guide and Impress Guide.
The following points will help you select which dialog to use if you want to change the propertiesof formula objects.
•

For formula backgrounds, use the various options in the tabs of the Area dialog.

•

For formula borders, use the various options in the Line dialog. Note that formula borders
are separate from cell borders in a Calc spreadsheet.

•To accurately re-position a formula object, use the various options in tabs of the Position
and Size dialog.

•

In Draw and Impress, you can arrange, align, group, flip, convert, break, combine, andedit points of formula objects.

•

You cannot change the text attributes of a formula object. The text used in a formula isset when you create the formula in the Formula Editor.

•

Formula object size is set by the formula font size when the formula is created in the
Formula Editor. The formula object size is protected in the Position and Size dialog, but
this can be deselected if you wish. However, this is not recommended as resizing aformula object using the Position and Size dialog could lead to distortion of a formulamaking it difficult to read.

Formulas in charts
A chart in a Calc spreadsheet is itself an OLE object, therefore, you cannot use the Formula
Editor to create and insert a formula directly into a chart. However, you can create both the Chartand Math objects separately and later copy and paste the Math formula into the Chart object:
1) Create the chart using LibreOffice Calc. For a complete reference on how to create
charts, see Chapter 3 in the Calc Guide.
2) Click at any cell in your spreadsheet so that the Chart is no longer selected.
32 | Getting Started with Math3) Insert a Math Formula object by clicking Insert > Object > Formula.
4) Type the desired formula into the Formula Editor.
5) After editing the formula, select the Math Formula object and press Ctrl+C to copy the
Formula object to the clipboard.
6) Double-click the chart object to start editing the chart and press Ctrl+V to paste the
Formula object into the chart.
7) Now you can position the object anywhere you want inside the chart.
If you want to change the formula at a later date, then you must repeat the whole process ofcreating, copying, and pasting the Formula object into the chart.

Customization
This section explains how you can customize Math to suit the way you create formulas for use in
LibreOffice documents. Also, refer to Chapter 14, Customizing LibreOffice, for more general
information on how to customize LibreOffice.

Floating dialogs
The Formula Editor and Elements dock can cover a large part of your document. To help create
more space and/or allow you to move either the Formula Editor or Elements dock out of the way,
you can turn both of them into floating dialogs.
1) Position the cursor on the frame.
2) Hold down the Ctrl key and double-click. This turns the Formula Editor into the
Commands dialog (Figure 17) and the Elements dock into the Elements dialog (Figure
18).

Figure 17: Commands dialog

Figure 18: Elements dialog
To return the Commands dialog and Elements dialog back to their default positions:
1) Position the cursor on the frame of the dialog, NOT the title bar at the top of the dialog.
2) Hold down the Ctrl key and double-click.

Customization | 33

Adding keyboard shortcuts
You can add keyboard shortcuts to LibreOffice to make creating documents much easier and tomatch your workflow. See Chapter 14, Customizing LibreOffice, for instructions.

Catalog customization
If you regularly use a symbol that is not available in Math, you can add it to the Symbols dialog(Figure 19) by opening the Edit Symbols dialog (Figure 20).
Using the Edit Symbols dialog you can add symbols to a symbol set, edit symbol sets, or modify
symbol notations. You can also define new symbol sets, assign names to symbols, or modify
existing symbol sets.

Adding symbols
1) Go to Tools > Symbols on the Menu bar or click on the Symbols icon on the Tools
toolbar to open the Symbols dialog.
2) Click the Edit button to open the Edit Symbols dialog.
3) Select a font in the Font drop-down list.
4) Select a symbol character that you want to add in the preview box. You may have to scroll
down in the preview box to locate the symbol you want to use. The small right preview
box displays the new symbol.
5) In the Symbol box, type a memorable name for the symbol you are adding.
6) In the Symbol set box, select a symbol set in the drop-down list to add your new symbol
to, or type a new name to create a new symbol set for your new symbol.
7) If required, select a font style in the Style drop-down list – Standard, Italic, Bold, orBold, Italic.
8) Click Add, then click OK to close the Edit Symbols dialog. The new symbol and, if
created, new symbol set are now available for use.

Figure 19: Symbols dialog

34 | Getting Started with Math

Figure 20: The Edit Symbols dialog

Note
When a new symbol is added to the catalog, you can type a percentage sign (%)
followed by the new name into the markup language in the Formula Editor and yournew symbol will appear in your formula. Remember that symbol names are casesensitive, for example, %prime is a different symbol to %Prime.

Note
There are numerous free fonts available that contain several symbols if you cannot
find a symbol to use in the fonts already installed on your computer. For example,
the STIX font was developed specially for writing mathematical and technical texts.
Also, the DejaVu and Lucida fonts have a wide range of symbols that you can use.

Note
When LibreOffice is installed on a computer, only those user-defined symbols that
actually occur in the document are stored with it. Sometimes it is useful to embed all
the user-defined symbols, so that when the document is transferred to anothercomputer it can be edited by another person. Go to Tools > Options > LibreOfficeMath > Settings, uncheck the option Embed only used symbols (smaller filesize).This setting is only available when you are working with LibreOffice Math.

Customization | 35

Editing symbols
Modifying symbol names
You can change the name of a symbol as follows:
1) Select the symbol name you want to change in the Old symbol drop-down list. The
symbol appears in the left preview pane at the bottom of the Edit Symbols dialog (Figure20).
2) Type a new name for the symbol in the Symbol text box, or select a new name in the
Symbol drop-down list. The new symbol name appears above the right preview pane at
the bottom of the Edit Symbols dialog.
3) Click Modify and the symbol name is changed.
4) Click OK to close the Edit Symbols dialog.

Moving symbols
You can move a symbol from one symbol set to another as follows:
1) In the Old symbol set drop-down list, select the symbol set where the symbol you want tomove is located.
2) Select the symbol name you want move in the Old symbol drop-down list. The symbol
appears in the left preview pane at the bottom of the Edit Symbols dialog (Figure 20).
3) In the Symbol set drop-down list, select the symbol set that you want to move the symbol
to. The new symbol set name appears below the right preview pane at the bottom of theEdit Symbols dialog.
4) Click Modify and the symbol is moved to the new symbol set5) Click OK to close the Edit Symbols dialog.

Deleting symbols
You can delete a symbol from a symbol set as follows:
1) In the Old symbol set drop-down list, select the symbol set from which you want to delete
the symbol.
2) Select the symbol name you want delete in the Old symbol drop-down list. The symbol
appears in the left preview pane at the bottom of the Edit Symbols dialog (Figure 20).
3) Click Delete and the symbol is deleted from the symbol set without any confirmation.
4) Click OK to close the Edit Symbols dialog.

Note
The only way you can delete a symbol set is by deleting all of the symbols in that set.
When you delete the last symbol from a set, the set is also deleted.

Options for editing symbols
For details of the fields in the Edit Symbols dialog (Figure 20), please refer to the Math Guide.

Formula spacing
The grave accent (`) inserts an additional small space and the tilde (~) inserts an additional large
space into formulas. However, in the basic installation of LibreOffice, these symbols are ignored
when they occur at the end of a formula. If you are working with running text in a formula, it may
be necessary to include spacing at the end of formulas as well. This customization is only
required when you are working with a Math document and is not required when you are inserting
a formula into another LibreOffice component.
36 | Getting Started with MathTo add spacing at the end of formula in Math, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Math >Settings on the Menu bar and uncheck Ignore ~ and ` at the end of the line in the
Miscellaneous Options section.

Extensions
If you create formulas frequently in your documents, you can customize LibreOffice by adding
extensions that are designed to help you create formulas. Extensions are easily installed using
the Extension Manager. For more information on how to install extensions, see Chapter 14,
Customizing LibreOffice.
A commonly used extension is Formatting of All Math Formulas. It allows you to format all
Math formulas in your Writer, Calc, Draw or Impress document. With it you can change the fontnames and font sizes of all formulas in your document. For more information on this extension,
go to https://extensions.libreoffice.org/extensions/show/formatting-of-all-math-formulas.

Exporting and Importing
Math ML format
In addition to exporting documents as PDFs, LibreOffice offers the possibility of saving formulasin the MathML format. This allows you or another person to insert formulas into documents thatwere created in other software, for example, Microsoft Office or an internet browser.

Note
Some internet browsers do not fully support the MathML format and your formula
may not display correctly.
If you are working on a Math document, go to File > Save as on the Menu bar or use the
keyboard combination Ctrl+Shift+S to open the Save as dialog. Select MathML in the list ofavailable file formats in File type: to save your formula as MathML.
If you are working in another LibreOffice module, right-click on the formula object and selectSave copy as in the context menu to open the Save as dialog. Select MathML in the list ofavailable file formats in “File type” to save your formula object as MathML.
In Math you can also import MathML formulas. Use Tools > Import MathML from clipboard on
the Menu bar.

Microsoft file formats
To control how formulas in Microsoft format are imported and exported using LibreOffice, go toTools > Options > Load/Save > Microsoft Office on the Menu bar and select or deselect theoptions for MathType to LibreOffice Math or reverse.
•[L]: Load and convert the object•[S]: Convert and save the object[L]: Load and convert the object
Select this option if Microsoft OLE objects are to be converted into the specified LibreOffice OLE
object when a Microsoft document is opened in LibreOffice. For formulas, any embedded
MathType objects must not exceed the MathType 3.1 specifications to be successfully loaded
and converted. Information on MathType format can be found on the website
http://www.dessci.com/en.

Exporting and Importing | 37

If a document containing OMML formulas has been saved in .docx format and then converted tothe older .doc format, then any OMML objects are converted into graphics, which will be
displayed in LibreOffice as graphics.

[S]: Convert and save the object
Select this option if LibreOffice OLE objects are to be converted and saved in Microsoft fileformat. LibreOffice converts any formulas into a format that can be read and modified byMicrosoft Equation Editor and MathType.
When this option is not selected, the formula is treated as an OLE object on conversion intoa .doc format and remains linked to LibreOffice. A double-click on the object in Microsoft Officewill attempt to launch LibreOffice.

38 | Getting Started with Math