WebAssign allows you to display mathematical functions as images. This feature is useful for displaying built up fractions, radicals, integrals, summations, partial derivatives, and matrices.

The full power of randomizing variables and numbers is retained in generating the mathematical function. Functions are entered as plain text. 

When students are required to input an answer in WebAssign, they can preview their answer using the same display feature. No other applications are required to implement WebAssign's math display.

To try out this feature, type in your function in the box.

Writing a Math Question

To write a question using the math display, you insert symimage(expression), a special function, at the appropriate location in your question. The expression will be displayed in mathematical notation. For instance, use  "x/y" for a built-up fraction, "sqrt(x)" for the square root of x.

For example, it you want to ask for the inverse of a function like

f(x) = (4x - 1)/(2x + 3)

You could write the question using symimage(). You could even randomize the coefficients of x in the function. The question would look like this:

Find a formula for the inverse of the function.

<p>
<eqn $a=randnum(4,10,2); $b=$a-1; "" >
<symimage(f(x) = ($a x-1)/(2x+$b))>
</p>

<p>
<i>f</i> ^-1(<i>x</i>) = <_>
</p>

The question will display as