[NTG-context] new upload / more math

[Henning Hraban Ramm]

Oh, great work, thank you! (While I keep working with WebCMS and avoid 
math...)

And I guess you forgot to mention that you discontinued the support for 
non-metric measures like the obsolete inch, except Potrzebie, of course.

Hraban

Am 01.04.22 um 10:02 schrieb Hans Hagen via ntg-context:
> Hi,
> 
> As most of you know by now, Mikael and I are working on a math support 
> upgrade. In order to let users keep up we uploaded a new version. We 
> have been revisioning some of the more obscure constructs where we have 
>   no clue of usage, like pmod, bmod, bordermatrix etc, commands that we 
>   took (and reimplemented) decades ago from plain TeX or AMS TeX, 
> assuming that these are standards.
> 
> In this release, encouraged by the positive response we received from 
> users regarding the new simplealignment construction, and in particular 
> regarding the self-explaining sesac, we have decided to introduced some 
> new constructs. First out is
> 
> \startformula
> \startxıɹʇɐɯ
>    \NC a_1 \NC b_1 \NC c_1 \NR
>    \NC a_2 \NC b_2 \NC c_2 \NR
>    \NC a_3 \NC b_3 \NC c_3 \NR
> \stopxıɹʇɐɯ
> \stopformula
> 
> for rotation matrices. This was demanded for some advanced math courses 
> that Mikael teaches. It might inspire users to come up with demands that 
> suits their own obscure but nevertheless interesting math.
> 
> At some point we realized that, with (also) scientific publishers (of 
> math journals) moving to MS Word and Indesign, we operate in a rather 
> peculiar niche and the fact that we use an upgraded and more granular 
> math engine, made us wonder how to communicate all these new features 
> and standards that we set. It is for that reason that from now on we 
> will operate under the CMS umbrella. That abbreviation stands for 
> ConTeXt Math Society. It has no funny swirly TeX logo which itself is a 
> statement: in Unicode math script and calligraphic alphabets are so 
> messed up that it is impossible to have a reliable and predictable 
> rendering. We go for Dutch and Swedish simplicity in the spirit of W.N. 
> Lansburgh: back to the times before TeX was written (1964). There will 
> be no limits and boundaries set. (Talking math limits and boundaries: 
> these can already go everywhere anyway, as can fences.)
> 
> So, when we mention CMS, we mean serious math business, but kindergarten 
> math is also embraced! There are no consequences for users: ConTeXt 
> users with a proven math track record are automatically a member, but we 
> are not too picky, everyone is welcome. We don't have honorary members 
> but Taco (the first ConTeXt math user) and Aditya (the most experienced 
>   one) might consider themselves as such. Mikael Sundqvist is the 
> chairman, which is a livelong appointment. (A nice side effect is that 
> with Arthur living in Sweden too, that gives us a very strong position 
> in the TeX landscape there.)
> 
> So, today's upload is sort of special: welcome CMS (ConTeXt Math 
> Shines), goodbye AMS (American Math Second). Of course we're open for 
> suggestions and it being an open society all voices will be heard, but 
> only proper (retro) math cf Lansburgh will be honored. Of course we only 
> listen to ConTeXt users and, as that package is not supposed to be used 
> for serious math, we don't bother about the few publishers left that 
> still do math.
> 
> Are we done? Not yet. We're in the middle of (colorful and graphic) 
> alignment ornaments and after that we're going to expand and improve 
> multi-line display formulas and equation numbering.
> 
> It will be no coincidence that the cover of Landburghs book about math 
> typesetting has a prominent 'AWE' embedded in a logo with a lion on top: 
> we hope all users are in awe about what the TeX lion can do.
> 
> Mikael S & Hans H
>