$\def\Q{\mathbb{Q}} \DeclareMathOperator{\GL}{GL} \def\QQ{\mathbb{Q}}$

## Mathematics books and papers on the Web

The problem. For many years, PDF has been the standard format for viewing mathematics paper and books on a computer. While PDF has the useful features of printing well and being searchable, it has two disadvantages:

• quickly scanning the document to gain a sense of the content is difficult, and
• looking up references and citations requires jumping from page to page.

The SL2X solution. The above issues are not inherent limitations to the Web. We have been developing a new approach which addresses these shortcomings. The method involves extracting the underlying structure of the LaTeX source of the document, and then translating that structure into a more usable form, such as HTML.

The program which converts the LaTeX source in to HTML is called:

SL2X: Structured LaTeX to XML
We are using it to convert a few thousand math papers, and plan to give a demonstration at the AIM booth in the display area at the JMM in San Antonio in January.

David W. Farmer
Director of Programs, AIM
farmer@aimath.org