Lurch

Writing down math expressions is difficult to be done with pen and paper, let alone using a basic text editing application. However, not only for educational purposes, specialized utilities like Lurch give you the possibility to easily create a text document that can contain even the most complex math expressions.

Running the application brings up, besides the main window, a greeting screen with a few helpful suggestions. The most important is the tutorial, because it takes you step by step through what the application has to offer, even with examples and exercises.

The tutorial is written in the application's workspace so you are free to experiment on the same page to master all functions before putting them to good use.

The user interface resembles a basic text editor, with a large blank sheet of paper to write down data, and several toolbars containing all necessary options. You are able to insert any math symbol and even comic ones to make the document a little more pleasant.

Choosing the “Insert math” option is the common way to write expressions. It displays the result that updates in real time, as well as a separate field in which you manually input commands.

All formatting options found in a text editor are available to enhance important sections or differentiate them. Implemented hotkey support allow you to customize and use nearly any provided function by pressing a combination of buttons on your keyboard.

Unfortunately, when you finish work, saving options limit you to the application's specific format and HTML. It would have come in handy for more compatibility options, or at least the possibility to export as an image file type.

Lurch is just the right application to use when math is still a necessity but school is over. It gives you the possibility to create even the most complex of expressions an enhance them with various symbols and text formatting options. Moreover, the helpful tutorial gets you up and running in no time.