[BlindMath] BlindMath Digest, Vol 213, Issue 8
Ketty Ombadykow
mko30 at echo.rutgers.edu
Thu Apr 18 16:31:00 UTC 2024
Thank you to those who provided feedback to the Rutgers University questions about accessible flowcharting software and JavaScript Editor, and accessible math format.
We really appreciate all feedback.
Jonathan Godfrey, we'll look into the Quatro and Mermaid editors.
For Calculus,
1) Hope professor will provide Latex files, then we can convert to HTML with Mathjax, as we have done this before.
2) there are many GRAPHS to illustrate the math: any preference or suggested method to provide the graphs accessibly: tactiles or alt text or use the accessible scientific graphing calculator (which may not identified shaded areas of graphic)?
For his Statistics class,
it looks like the math notation is not as dense. The professor may use the Word equation editor or MathType to insert the typed math. We can ask for the original Word files and convert to HTML with mathjax.
Have any of you used MathPix to insert the math into Word files and read the math in the WORD file with MathCat (integrated now in NVDA, soon to be supported in JAWS)?
Or Equatio?
Thank you all again for your guidance.
Best Regards,
Ketty
M. Ketty Ombadykow, M. Ed., M.S.| Alternate Format Text/Assistive Technology
Rutgers University | Rutgers Access & Disability Resources (RADR)
Liberty Plaza, Suite 1250, 335 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Office: (848)-445-4431 | RADR main: (848)-445-4499
radr.aft at echo.rutgers.edu<mailto:radr.aft at echo.rutgers.edu> | https://radr.rutgers.edu/<https://radr.rutgers.edu/
-----Original Message-----
From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of blindmath-request at nfbnet.org
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2024 8:00 AM
To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
Subject: BlindMath Digest, Vol 213, Issue 8
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: I need help with vectors and electric field (Jonathan Fine)
2. TikZ tutorials (Michael Link)
3. quarto as substitute for jupyter notebook (Rich Caloggero)
4. TikZ tutorials (peter.julien.rayner at gmail.com)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 15:07:31 +0100
From: Jonathan Fine <jfine2358 at gmail.com>
To: Abdulqadir Ahmad <arfs6.mail at gmail.com>
Cc: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [BlindMath] I need help with vectors and electric field
Message-ID:
<CALD=Yf9By5SpkM06EXi9LpKKxf8orauw+-FgbfyzfzAtdisQZQ at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Hi Abdulqadir
A force has a magnitude and a direction. Coulomb's law has two parts. The first part gives the magnitude of the force. The second part gives the direction of the force.
In plane Cartesian coordinates we can write the force as a vector. For example, (1, 0) is a unit force to the x-direction, and (0, 1) is a unit force in the y-direction.
We can add forces by adding components. So (1,0) + (0,1) = (1, 1).
Now, (1, 1) is a diagonal force, with equal components in the x and y directions. The magnitude of this force is given by Pythagorus theorem. It is the square root of the sum of the square of the magnitudes. In this case it is the square root of 2, which is about 1.414.
Suppose we have charged particles at (0,0) and (1,1) and the charges are such that Coulomb's law gives a force of magnitude one. What is the resulting vector, in plane Cartesian coordinates? Well, its direction is on the diagonal line from (0, 0) to (1, 1). But it is not (1, 1), because that has magnitude 1.414.
There are two correct answers. The first is approximately (0.707, 0.707).
This has magnitude one. The other is the equal but opposite force (-0.707, -0.707). It may help to remember that 0.7 squared is 0.49, which is almost a half.
I hope this helps you find the calculation needed to solve your problem.
Remember that in Physics a force has a magnitude and a direction. The magnitude of the sum of two forces depends on their magnitudes, and also on the angle between their directions. The simplest example is 1 + 1 = 2 and 1
- 1 = 0. For 1+ 1 the angle is zero, and for 1 - 1 the angle is 180 degrees.
I hope this helps. For sighted persons I would draw a diagram to engage with the visual imagination.
with kind regards
Jonathan
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:11:15 -0400
From: Michael Link <michael at michaellink.org>
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [BlindMath] TikZ tutorials
Message-ID:
<CAOjzk6aszeEitrn7AthE=iDepREbrBJt=feeBkTt3iSrkxYBJg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Hi there!
Does anyone have any recommended tutorials to learn TikZ?
Thanks!
Michael
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 11:46:38 -0400
From: "Rich Caloggero" <rjc at mit.edu>
To: Jonathan Godfrey <A.J.Godfrey at massey.ac.nz>, Blind Math list for
those interested in mathematics <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [BlindMath] quarto as substitute for jupyter notebook
Message-ID: <0d662255-f5e9-3c2a-5f05-4ed4fa248030 at mit.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Actually, this is very nice. To get this setup using quarto and observable (a javascript runtime which works particularly well for notebook type environments), do the following:
1. download quarto:
https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/releases/tag/v1.4.553
2. Paste the following simple document into a file with extension ".qmd"
and run the command "quarto preview simple.qmd"
This will create an html document, run a local web server and run your default browser with that document loaded from the server, and watch source files for changes. You can modify the document in your favorite text editor, or whatever tool you use for document creation and it will be reflected in the browser upon save.
Use the render command to render to a file, but note that it must be viewed through a web server, rather than a local file:// URL.
Here is a very simple source doc (cut here):
---
title: "Quarto Basics"
format:
? html:
??? code-fold: true
---
The exponentiation operator in javascript is written as shown below:
```{ojs}
a = 27;
b = 7;
a ** b;
```
On 4/16/2024 4:19 PM, Jonathan Godfrey wrote:
> Hello.
>
> If it isn't HTML, then what alternatives do you propose? MS Word files can't be made as accessible; pdf from LaTeX is not even close, leaving you with the source files or HTML as the only viable alternatives.
>
> If you use HTML, then you can use MathJax for equations, it is easy to protect code blocks with useful tools to play with the code, and so much more.
>
> You could investigate Quarto as a markdown flavour which is a substitute for Jupyter notebooks. It is also great for R as well.
>
> Quarto is not the only way to make use of markdown based tools such as mermaid for flow charts.
>
>
> Perhaps the major advantage HTML has is that you do not need everything to be in one file. Elements that need a different workflow (such as flow charts) could be put on a separate page (HTML document) and hyperlinked.
>
> HTH,
> Jonathan
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Ketty Ombadykow via BlindMath
> Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 6:38 AM
> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Ketty Ombadykow <mko30 at echo.rutgers.edu>; RADR AFT <radr.aft at echo.rutgers.edu>; Jason Khurdan <jkhurdan at oit.rutgers.edu>; Michelle Meyer <michelle.meyer at rutgers.edu>
> Subject: [BlindMath] Need help with recommendations for Comp Sci course requirements
>
> Hello Everyone,
> I work at Rutgers University responsible for remediating course materials for accessibility for students who use screen readers. I joined this listserv a little while ago to learn from you all about what tools, preferences, methods, and whatever I can glean from your discussions to help provide accessible materials for our students.
>
> This Fall 2024 I have a new transfer student who is taking 3 math and computer science courses (which I have handled before with the Professors providing their Latex files for handouts, homework and exams which we converted to HTML with Mathjax, and ppt files early to alt text).
>
> The Fall Comp Sci course requires learning HTML and flowcharting. The syllabus asks for
> Flowcharting software:
>
> * Draw.io is available free online (https://app.diagrams.net/ )
> * Optional: Flowcharting software Flowgorithm is available for free download only for Windows machines (http://flowgorithm.org/)
> * MS Word can also generate flowcharts, but some students find it more cumbersome to utilize
> JavaScript software
> (You will be writing JavaScript programs so you will need software to do that!)
>
> * https://js.do/ on-line JavaScript Editor
> * Other JavaScript/HTML Editors to download if you prefer:
> * Visual Studio Code
> * Atom Text Editor
> * Sublime
> * Codepen.io
> * Notepad++ (Windows only) - Available in Rutgers' Computer Labs
>
> QUESTIONS:
>
> 1. What do you use to build a flowchart, say for designing code?
> 2. Would any of you have any input on which, if any, of these flowcharting software above are accessible for the screen reader student? Is there a preference? Are there "watch out" tips?
> 3. For a JavaScript Editor, are any provided in the list above accessible? If not, what do you use?
> 4. For Calculus and Statistics courses, do you prefer getting them in HTML? MS Word with math equation editors?
>
> Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!
>
> Best Regards,
> Ketty
>
> M. Ketty Ombadykow, M. Ed., M.S.| Alternate Format Text/Assistive Technology
> Rutgers University | Rutgers Access & Disability Resources (RADR)
> Liberty Plaza, Suite 1250, 335 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
> Office: (848)-445-4431 | RADR main: (848)-445-4499
> radr.aft at echo.rutgers.edu<mailto:radr.aft at echo.rutgers.edu> | https://radr.rutgers.edu/<https://radr.rutgers.edu/>
>
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--
Rich Caloggero
Accessibility Specialist
Disability and Access Services
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:49:25 +1000
From: <peter.julien.rayner at gmail.com>
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [BlindMath] TikZ tutorials
Message-ID: <26144.24581.169242.52278 at gargle.gargle.HOWL>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Firstly, for those who don't know, tikz/pgf is a hierarchy of packages
built on top of TeX/LaTeX to enable programmatic drawing of diagrams.
It's a remarkable piece of engineering and its integration with LaTeX
(and hence beamer) was like a gift from the gods for me when I was
lecturing a lot. I did, however, find little tutorial material on it
when I was learning. Thankfully the manual itself is well structured
and informative. My other early source was from Overleaf, the
collaborative LaTeX platform ... and then there's always StackExchange
for specific questions.
Highly recommended
Peter
Michael Link via BlindMath writes:
>Hi there!
>
>Does anyone have any recommended tutorials to learn TikZ?
>
>Thanks!
>Michael
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