[Feature]: Render LaTeX/math in chat for research workflows

[dkritarth]

Problem / use case

When an assistant returns LaTeX, T3 Code currently shows the TeX source as ordinary text instead of rendering the mathematics. This makes scientific and technical responses difficult to read, check, and reuse.

I encountered this while using T3 Code for an ensemble weather-forecasting research workflow. The attached screenshot shows equations such as \frac, \sum, \operatorname, and \begin{aligned} displayed literally in the chat instead of as formatted math.

Actual behavior

Common inline and display math is shown as raw source, including the delimiters and commands. The surrounding Markdown headings and prose render, but the mathematical notation does not.

Expected behavior

Please render common math delimiters in assistant messages, including:

• Inline math: \(...\) and $...$
• Display math: \[...\] and $$...$$
• Common LaTeX commands used by current models, such as fractions, sums, subscripts/superscripts, Greek letters, matrices, and aligned equations

KaTeX, MathJax, or an equivalent renderer would work. It would also be useful to preserve the original TeX when copying, keep long equations usable in narrow layouts, and fail safely for malformed expressions without breaking the rest of the message. Code blocks, escaped delimiters, and ordinary dollar amounts should remain unchanged.

Why this matters

T3 Code is useful beyond code editing, including research and technical writing. Readable math is essential for understanding probability distributions, loss functions, matrix operations, and evaluation metrics. At present, I have to copy responses elsewhere to read the equations properly.

Environment

• T3 Code desktop app
• Dark mode
• Codex provider (GPT-5.6-Luna shown in the screenshot)
• Reproduced September 4, 2026

Related reports

This is being posted in the Ideas category because the repository directs feature requests there. Related tracker items include:

• #1784: LaTeX rendering support, closed as not planned
• #8430: Render LaTeX math in chat for research workflows, closed as not planned
• #4585: Inline LaTeX renders as raw source, still open

I am not trying to create a competing duplicate report. I wanted to document a current reproducible example in the repository's requested Ideas workflow and add a concrete screenshot of the impact.

[maximilianigl]

+1 this is important for all technical work, including also AI research.
Additionally, most GUIs (including Codex and CC) have supported this from the very beginning.

[maximilianigl]

FYI, I'm using a local fork with latex support - it's easy enough with agents. Also allowed me some additional modifications that I wanted (e.g. some needed keybindings, mermaid support)

[dkritarth]

I was in the process of creating my own fork lol, thanks, I will definitely look at your now as well. Thanks

[maximilianigl]

Not sure I pushed anything yet actually - and it also has some changes that are workflow specific for me and wouldn't work for anyone else.
Wasn't saying you should use mine, just that it's easy to do

[dkritarth]

Let me know, if you push any changes any time. If something works already, I would prefer not having to do it again lol, I have enough work as it is as a student

[maximilianigl]

Cleaned it up: https://github.com/maximilianigl/t3code

[dkritarth]

I implemented and verified a current fix in #9838.

The PR renders all four common delimiters ($...$, $$...$$, \(...\), and \[...\]) through KaTeX in the shared web renderer, while leaving inline code, fenced/indented code blocks, and escaped delimiters alone. The length-preserving normalization also avoids shifting the source offsets used by interactive task lists.

It is rebased onto current main and covers web, desktop, and rendered Markdown previews. Verification includes 56 focused tests, web typechecking, targeted lint/formatting, a production build, and a real macOS check against the Linux-hosted dev server over an SSH tunnel. The PR includes the before/after screenshots from the weather-research example.

I also linked the earlier #7166 and #7739 attempts in the PR so maintainers have the full history and can compare approaches.

PR: #9838

[hkarlsen06]

@juliusmarminge, one yes/no question so this has a clear answer either way.

In #1784 you said opt-in math would be fine "if it doesn't add too much complexity," and worried about "tons of remark plugins parsing latex." #14574 is built to that bar:

• Off by default (Settings → Appearance → Render math). When it's off, no parser is registered and KaTeX never loads.
• One micromark extension for the four delimiters models emit ($…$, $$…$$, \(…\), \[…\]). No remark plugin stack, no regex rewrite of the source. Prices, $HOME, $skill chips and \[1\] stay text.
• Cost when on: the parser adds 2.9 KB gzipped, and messages without $, \( or \[ skip it. KaTeX is a lazy chunk that only loads once a formula renders. KaTeX itself is a string renderer with no layout engine, and output is cached per formula.
• Untrusted content: KaTeX runs with trust: false on text that has already been through the sanitizer. Invalid or unfinished TeX shows its source.
• Web and desktop only. Mobile is unchanged.

Is that scope approved? If it's too much, I'd cut it to display math only ($$ / \[). If it's a no, I'll close the PR.

[ybennaoum]

Adding my support for this request as a mathematics teacher using T3 Code for lesson preparation and checking mathematical explanations.

Equations in assistant responses currently appear as raw LaTeX instead of formatted mathematics. This makes me switch back to Codex Desktop just to read the equations correctly. I would prefer to stay in T3 Code throughout my workflow.

A concrete example from my conversation today is:

\[
\boxed{f\le g\text{ sur }D
\quad\Longleftrightarrow\quad
g-f\ge0\text{ sur }D.}
\]

T3 Code displays the commands such as \boxed, \le, \text, and \Longleftrightarrow literally in the response rather than rendering the equation. Inline expressions such as \(f\le g\) are also affected.

Please support both inline and display math in Markdown responses, including \(...\), $...$, \[...\], and $$...$$. KaTeX or MathJax support would make a substantial difference for mathematics, science, and technical explanations. An opt-in setting would also meet my needs.

Still reproducible on T3 Code Nightly 0.0.46-nightly.20261005.2676, macOS, on October 5, 2026.

Thank you for considering this. For my day-to-day teaching work, readable mathematics is a major reason to choose one assistant interface over another.

[hkarlsen06]

Help backing #14574 to hopefully get the attention of the maintainers for a possible merge

[Yuruzuu]

This would be a nice addition!

[nvasilevv]

Would be great to see this in. Especially helpful for scientific programming.

[Zane-0x5a]

Until math lands in T3 itself, here's a stopgap for the Windows desktop app: t3-latex (unofficial).

It's not a fork and doesn't patch T3's install. A separate "T3 Code (LaTeX)" shortcut loads KaTeX into the official app at startup, so auto-updates keep working, and T3 opened from its own icon is unchanged.

• What it renders: $…$, $$…$$, \(…\), \[…\] and bare environments such as aligned. Prices, $HOME, code and unclosed delimiters while a reply streams all stay text.
• Copy and Cite give the TeX source.

To install, get the zip from Releases and run install.cmd.

Please report problems there, not on T3's tracker.