Migrate Between Math Delimiter Conventions

MathJax wiki → KaTeX docs site

Old wiki used \(/\[. The new Docusaurus site uses KaTeX. Target dollar migrates every equation to the destination convention.

SOURCE (MathJax wiki export):
The gradient \( \nabla f \) points uphill, and
\[ \nabla f = \left( \frac{\partial f}{\partial x}, \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} \right) \]

TARGET: dollar

DESTINATION (KaTeX-ready):
The gradient $ \nabla f $ points uphill, and

$$ \nabla f = \left( \frac{\partial f}{\partial x}, \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} \right) $$

KaTeX content → TeX-delimiter MathJax

Reverse migration. Source uses $/$$; the destination MathJax is configured for \(/\[. Target tex flips both.

SOURCE (KaTeX):
Bayes: $P(A\mid B) = \frac{P(B\mid A)P(A)}{P(B)}$ and
$$ P(B) = \sum_i P(B\mid A_i)P(A_i) $$

TARGET: tex

DESTINATION:
Bayes: \(P(A\mid B) = \frac{P(B\mid A)P(A)}{P(B)}\) and
\[ P(B) = \sum_i P(B\mid A_i)P(A_i) \]

Partial migration leaves new-style math alone

A file someone already half-converted to $. Running target dollar only touches the remaining \(/\[, no doubling.

SOURCE (partly migrated):
Already-new $y = mx + b$ plus old \( z = ax^2 \).

TARGET: dollar

DESTINATION:
Already-new $y = mx + b$ plus old $ z = ax^2 $.

Migration guide quoting syntax stays intact

The migration runbook itself documents the old/new delimiters inside fenced blocks. Those are skipped; only live prose math converts.

SOURCE:
Replace old style with new, e.g. convert:
```text
\( a + b \)   ->   $a + b$
```
Note inline math like \( c \) in body text also moves.

TARGET: dollar

DESTINATION:
Replace old style with new, e.g. convert:
```text
\( a + b \)   ->   $a + b$
```
Note inline math like $ c $ in body text also moves.

Tex direction with a stray currency dollar

A migration into a TeX-delimiter platform where one paragraph mentions a price. The pass mis-pairs the dollars — convert that file with dollar instead, or escape currency before running.

SOURCE:
The model $W$ costs about $50 to train.

TARGET: tex

RESULT (mis-paired — review needed):
The model \(W\) costs about \)50 to train.

FIX: migrate this file targeting dollar, or replace '$50' before converting.

The Target style must match the destination platform, not the source. Migrating a \(-style wiki INTO KaTeX means target dollar. Picking tex would leave it unchanged (since \( is already TeX) and the migration would do nothing.

Target tex pairs consecutive $, so prose dollars ($50, $HOME) get swept into a \(...\). For files with literal dollars, migrate them with the dollar target instead, or replace the literals before running.

Only triple-backtick fences are protected. A migration note like 'use $x$ here' has its inline-code delimiter converted. Put quoted syntax inside ``` ``` fenced blocks to keep it literal.

~~~ fences are not recognized by the skip logic, so math inside them migrates like prose. Convert old-style ~~~ blocks to ``` ``` if they must be preserved verbatim.

tex→dollar adds blank lines around the new $$ block; dollar→tex does NOT add blank lines around the new \[ block. If your destination wants display math isolated, the dollar direction handles it for free; the tex direction may need a manual blank line.

Re-running with the same target on already-migrated content produces no change — the tool never re-touches delimiters already in the target form. This makes the migration safely repeatable across a folder.

An inline $...$ that spans a newline is skipped (the rule forbids newlines inside inline math). If a source wiki wrapped inline math across lines, join it before migrating or it stays in the old style.

Only \(, \[, $, $$ are recognized. AMS environments pass through untouched on either direction. If the destination needs them wrapped, do that step separately.

Free converts one file per run. A multi-hundred-file migration on Free means one-at-a-time; Pro queues up to 10 files per run (Pro-media 50). Each file still must stay under its character limit.