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Markdown to LaTeX Converter

Write Markdown with $ math, see it rendered instantly, then pull out every equation as clean LaTeX or a full Overleaf document. Nothing leaves your browser.

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How do you write LaTeX math in Markdown?

Wrap the formula in dollar signs: `$E = mc^2$` renders inline, and `$$...$$` on its own lines renders a centred display equation. Markdown has no math parser of its own, so the host does the work — GitHub, Jupyter, Obsidian and most site generators pass the content to KaTeX or MathJax.

markdown
The relation $E = mc^2$ appears inline.

$$
\sum_{i=1}^{n} i = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}
$$

The first line typesets the formula inside the sentence; the block between the $$ delimiters becomes a centred display equation on a line of its own.

Try the Markdown to LaTeX Converter

Markdown editor

Output

Markdown with Math Formulas

Here's an inline formula: E=mc2E = mc^2

And a block formula:

ddx(∫0xf(u) du)=f(x)\frac{d}{dx}\left( \int_{0}^{x} f(u)\,du\right)=f(x)

Another example with summation:

∑i=1ni=n(n+1)2\sum_{i=1}^{n} i = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}

Here's a matrix:

(abcd)\begin{pmatrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{pmatrix}

And a system of equations:

{3x+5y+z=07x−2y+4z=0−6x+3y+2z=0\begin{cases} 3x + 5y + z = 0 \\ 7x - 2y + 4z = 0 \\ -6x + 3y + 2z = 0 \end{cases}

LaTeX in Markdown: syntax explained

Markdown and LaTeX meet at the dollar sign. The rules are short, but three details cause almost every rendering bug: whitespace next to the delimiters, underscores that Markdown eats as emphasis, and platforms that ship their own math syntax instead.

Inline math with single dollar signs

One dollar sign on each side keeps the formula in the flow of the sentence. Leave no space between the delimiter and the formula — with a space, most renderers treat the dollars as literal currency symbols and print them.

markdown
The relativistic energy $E = mc^2$ still surprises people.
A price such as \$25 has to be escaped so it is not read as math.

The first line typesets E = mc² inline. The escaped dollar on the second line prints a literal $ instead of opening a formula.

Display math with double dollar signs

Two dollar signs produce a centred, block-level equation. Put the delimiters on their own lines and leave a blank line before and after the block — Jupyter and several static site generators refuse to render it otherwise.

markdown
The quadratic formula gives both roots:

$$
x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}
$$

Renders as a centred equation on its own line, visually separated from the paragraph above it.

Matrices, cases and aligned environments

Anything with several rows goes inside an amsmath environment. Rows are separated by a double backslash, columns by an ampersand, and the surrounding $$ still marks the whole thing as display math.

markdown
$$
\begin{cases}
3x + 5y + z = 0 \\
7x - 2y + 4z = 0
\end{cases}
$$

Produces a braced system of two equations. Swapping cases for pmatrix, bmatrix or aligned gives matrices and multi-step derivations with the same row syntax.

GitHub and GitLab math fences

GitHub renders plain $ and $$ in files, issues and comments, but its documented syntax is a dollar-backtick span inline and a math code fence for blocks. GitLab uses the same two forms. The fenced version is the safest, because its contents are never parsed as Markdown first.

markdown
Inline: $`\sqrt{3x-1}+(1+x)^2`$

```math
\left| \vec{v} \right| = \sqrt{x^2 + y^2}
```

Both forms render on GitHub and GitLab. The math fence removes escaping problems entirely, since everything inside it is handed to the math renderer untouched.

Escaping underscores, dollars and backslashes

An underscore means subscript to LaTeX and emphasis to Markdown, so a parser that runs Markdown first can swallow it. Escaping the character, or moving the formula into a math fence, fixes it. Doubling backslashes is only needed when the Markdown itself sits inside a string literal.

markdown
$x_1 + x_2$     may lose its underscores in strict parsers
$x\_1 + x\_2$   safe in every renderer
Cost: \$50      escaped dollar, no math

The escaped version typesets identically in KaTeX and MathJax while surviving Markdown's own emphasis pass.

A complete LaTeX document for Overleaf

To compile formulas outside Markdown you need a document wrapper. Load amsmath and amssymb, then put each display formula in an equation environment — this is exactly what the Overleaf tab of this converter generates from your document.

markdown
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}

\begin{document}
\begin{equation}
\sum_{i=1}^{n} i = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}
\end{equation}
\end{document}

Compiles in Overleaf, pdflatex or tectonic with no further edits and produces a numbered equation.

Where LaTeX math works in Markdown

Math is the least portable part of Markdown. Every platform below renders it with a different engine, or not at all — check this table before you commit a formula to a README or a wiki.

PlatformSupportNotes
GitHubFullRenders $, $$, $`...`$ and math fences in files, issues, PRs and discussions.
GitLabFullUses $`...`$ inline and math code fences; bare $$ also works in recent versions.
Jupyter NotebookFullMarkdown cells render $ and $$ via MathJax, plus align and cases environments.
ObsidianFullMathJax-based. Put $$ on its own lines or the block renders inline.
R Markdown / QuartoFullMathJax when knitting to HTML, a real LaTeX engine when knitting to PDF.
VS Code previewPartialThe built-in preview needs the Markdown+Math extension; MDX pipelines differ.
NotionPartialHas its own inline equation and equation block; pasted raw $$ math is not converted.
Discord / SlackNoneNo math renderer at all. Paste an image or use a code block.

How to convert Markdown math to LaTeX

  1. Paste your Markdown

    Drop a document containing $...$ or $$...$$ math into the editor on the left. It is parsed with remark as you type, so nothing is uploaded anywhere.

  2. Check the live preview

    The preview tab renders the whole document with KaTeX, so you can confirm every formula is valid before you export it.

  3. Review the extracted formulas

    Open the LaTeX tab to see each inline and display equation pulled out of the document, rendered and listed with its own copy button.

  4. Export a compilable document

    The Overleaf tab wraps every formula in an article-class document with amsmath, amssymb, amsfonts and mathtools already loaded — copy it straight into Overleaf.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I write LaTeX formulas in Markdown?

Use dollar-sign delimiters. A single pair, $E = mc^2$, produces an inline formula that stays in the sentence; a double pair on its own lines produces a centred display equation. Markdown itself does not parse math, so the surrounding platform hands the content to KaTeX or MathJax.

How do I write LaTeX in a Jupyter notebook?

Put the formula in a Markdown cell and use $formula$ for inline math or $$formula$$ for display math, then run the cell so MathJax renders it. Jupyter also accepts amsmath environments such as align and cases directly. Unlike a Python string literal, a Markdown cell needs no double-escaped backslashes.

How do I use LaTeX in R Markdown?

R Markdown accepts the same $ and $$ delimiters in prose. Knitting to HTML renders them with MathJax; knitting to PDF passes them to a real LaTeX engine, so raw LaTeX commands and extra packages loaded through the header-includes YAML field also work. Math generated inside an R chunk needs cat() with results set to asis.

What is the difference between Markdown and LaTeX?

Markdown is a lightweight syntax for structure — headings, lists, links — and stays readable as plain text. LaTeX is a full typesetting system that controls pagination, cross-references, bibliographies and math with precision. Markdown with embedded LaTeX math gives you readable source for the prose and professional typesetting for the equations.

How do I convert Markdown with LaTeX to a PDF?

Pandoc is the standard route: run pandoc paper.md -o paper.pdf and the math is typeset by a LaTeX engine such as xelatex. Quarto, Typora and several VS Code extensions do the same thing behind a button. If you only need the equations, export the Overleaf document from this tool and compile that instead.

How do I convert LaTeX back to Markdown?

Pandoc handles the reverse direction as well: pandoc paper.tex -o paper.md. Math survives inside dollar delimiters, but LaTeX features with no Markdown equivalent — custom macros, floats, precise figure placement, bibliography styling — are flattened or dropped, so plan on reviewing the result.

Why is my LaTeX not rendering in Markdown?

The usual causes are a space between the dollar sign and the formula, a missing blank line around a display block, an underscore that Markdown consumed as emphasis before the math renderer saw it, or a platform with no math support at all. Moving the formula into a math code fence avoids most of these.

How do I write a matrix or a system of equations in Markdown?

Use an amsmath environment inside a display block. pmatrix, bmatrix and vmatrix produce matrices with round, square and vertical delimiters, while cases produces a braced system. Separate rows with a double backslash and columns with an ampersand.

Can I use LaTeX packages such as TikZ in Markdown?

Not in browser-rendered Markdown. KaTeX and MathJax implement math commands only, not the package system, so TikZ pictures and \usepackage lines are ignored. They do work when the Markdown is compiled to PDF through a real LaTeX engine, for example with Pandoc or Quarto.

Do I need to double-escape backslashes in Markdown LaTeX?

Not in a plain .md file — write \frac and \sum exactly as you would in LaTeX. Doubling is only required when the Markdown lives inside another string, such as a JavaScript template literal, a JSON field or a Python docstring, where the backslash is itself an escape character.