Math content changes when switching between linear and professional modes

[jenmarsala]

When switching back-and-forth between professional and linear modes, math expressions are changing in ways that are not mathematically equivalent to the original expression. The expressions become increasingly complex with each iteration.

See attached Word document; the output quickly becomes so complex that it would be difficult to duplicate on this page.

1/20/25 Update: I have edited the attached Word document to provide further clarification on my settings and method of input. This issue is of even greater concern when the option to "automatically convert expressions to professional format" is unchecked - because the math content becomes convoluted on the user's first attempt to convert it to professional format.

Math_content_changes_between_linear_and_professional_modes_REVISED_01_20_25.docx

1/24/25 Update: A video is below to show the behavior that I am experiencing. Notice in particular at the 3 minute 14 second mark that a simple fraction cannot be properly converted from linear to professional mode.

Video-Issue45-linear-professional-modes.mp4

[brichwin]

@jenmarsala - Would you please elaborate on "Type the fraction 3/5"? Were you in the UnicodeMath Linear Mode and entered the three characters 3, forward slash, 5?

[brichwin]

I have attempted to recreate @jenmarsala's Word document in GitHub markdown so the scale of this issue can be seen without needing to first download and then open the Word document she submitted. See the Word document she provided in her writeup for the real document. The reproduction below is close, but obviously not OMML nor a Word document.

Description of Issue

When switching back-and-forth between professional and linear modes, math expressions are changing in ways that are not mathematically equivalent to the original expression. The expressions become increasingly complex with each iteration.

Test # 1

1. Type the fraction $\frac{3}{5}$.

2. Press CTRL + SHIFT + EQUALS to change the output to linear mode. The result is below.

$$3/5\frac{3}{5}$$

3. Press CTRL + EQUALS to change the output to professional mode. The result is below.

$$\frac{3}{5\frac{3}{5}}3/5\frac{3}{5}$$

4. PRESS CTRL + SHIFT + EQUALS to change the output back to linear mode. The result is below.

$$3/(5\ 3/5)\ \ 3/(5\ 3/5)\frac{3}{5\frac{3}{5}}3/5\frac{3}{5}$$

5. Press CTRL + EQUALS to change the output back to professional mode. The result is below.

$$\frac{\frac{3}{5}\frac{3}{5\frac{3}{5}3}}{5}3/5\ \ 3/5\frac{3}{5}3/5$$

6. Repeat as desired.

Test # 2

Using the same process as above,

1. Type the expression $2^{7}$.

2. Change to linear mode. Result: $2\hat{}72^{7}$

3. Change to professional mode. Result: $2^{72^{7}}2\hat{}72^{7}$

4. Change to linear mode. Result: $2\hat{}(72\hat{}7\ )\ 2\hat{}(72\hat{}7)2^{72^{7}}2\hat{}72^{7}$

5. Change to professional mode. Result: $2^{72^{7}}2^{72^{7}2^{72^{7}}2^{72^{7}}}2\hat{}(72\hat{}7\ )\ 2\hat{}(72\hat{}7)2^{72^{7}}2\hat{}72^{7}$

6. Repeat as desired.

Test # 3

The same process is now repeated for the expression $4\sqrt{3}$.

1. Type the expression $4\sqrt{3}$.

2. Change to linear mode. Result: $4\sqrt{}3\sqrt{3}$

3. Change to professional mode. Result: $4\sqrt{3\sqrt{3}}4\sqrt{}3\sqrt{3}$

4. Change to linear mode. Result: $4\sqrt{}(3\sqrt{}3)\ \ \sqrt{}(3\sqrt{}3)\ \sqrt{3\sqrt{3}}4\sqrt{}3\sqrt{3}$

5. Change to professional mode. Result: $4\sqrt{3\sqrt{3}}\ \sqrt{3\sqrt{3}}\sqrt{3\sqrt{3}}4\sqrt{3\sqrt{3}}4\sqrt{}(3\sqrt{}3)\ \ \sqrt{}(3\sqrt{}3)\ \sqrt{3\sqrt{3}}4\sqrt{}3\sqrt{3}$

Test # 4

1. Write the sum of the initial expressions from Tests 1, 2, & 3:

$$\frac{3}{5} + 2^{7} + 4\sqrt{3}$$

2. Change to linear mode. The result is below.

$$3/5\ 3/5\ 3/5\ 3/5\frac{3}{5} + 2^{7} + 4\sqrt{3}\ $$

3. Change to professional mode. The result is below.
   $$\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{3}{5}3}{5}3}{5}3}{5\frac{3}{5}} + 2^{7} + 4\sqrt{3}3/5\ 3/5\ 3/5\ 3/5\frac{3}{5} + 2^{7} + 4\sqrt{3}$$

4. Change to linear mode. The result is below.
   $$(((3/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/(5\ 3/5)\ (\ (\ (\ 3/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/(5\ 3/5)\ (\ (\ (\ 3/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/(5\ 3/5)\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{3}{5}3}{5}3}{5}3}{5\frac{3}{5}} + 2^{7} + 4\sqrt{3}3/5\ 3/5\ 3/5\ 3/5\frac{3}{5} + 2^{7} + 4\sqrt{3}$$

5. Change to professional mode. The result is below.

$$\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{3}{5}3}{5}3}{5}3}{5\frac{3}{5}}\left( \frac{\frac{\frac{3}{5}3}{5}3}{5}3 \right)}{5\frac{3}{5}}\left( \frac{\frac{\frac{3}{5}3}{5}3}{5}3 \right)}{5\frac{3}{5}\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{3}{5}3}{5}3}{5}3}{5\frac{3}{5}}} + 2^{7} + \frac{4\sqrt{3}3}{5}3}{5}3}{5}3}{5\frac{3}{5}} + 2^{7} + 4\sqrt{3}(((3/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/(5\ 3/5)\ (\ (\ (\ 3/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/(5\ 3/5)\ (\ (\ (\ 3/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/5\ 3)/(5\ 3/5)\frac{\frac{\frac{\frac{3}{5}3}{5}3}{5}3}{5\frac{3}{5}} + 2^{7} + 4\sqrt{3}3/5\ 3/5\ 3/5\ 3/5\frac{3}{5} + 2^{7} + 4\sqrt{3}$$

System Information

• Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise, Version 10.0.19045 Build 19045

• Microsoft Word version 2412 (Build 18324.20168 Click-to-Run) – Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise

[jenmarsala]

For my original post: I was in Unicode mode, and at the time had selected the option to "automatically convert expressions to professional format." To type the fraction 3/5, I typed 3, then forward slash, then 5, then spacebar -- and the fraction 3/5 initially appeared as expected in professional format, but then when toggling back and forth between linear and professional, the results became increasingly convoluted.

If I deselect "automatically convert expressions to professional format" - and then convert to professional mode, the issue is actually worse. The fraction 3, forward slash, 5 can not be converted properly to professional format at all - because upon the first conversion to professional mode, it becomes convoluted to an expression that first appears to be the built-up expression of 3/5, with the linear version of 3/5 typed after it.

I updated the attached Word document to provide additional details on my settings and method of input.

[jenmarsala]

I posted a video in my original post of the behavior that I am experiencing.