Markdown, Mermaid & KaTeX Syntax

Complete syntax reference for Markdown, Mermaid diagrams, and KaTeX math equations

Markdown

AutEng supports GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) with all standard formatting options.

Headings

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
#### Heading 4

Text Formatting

**Bold text**
*Italic text*
***Bold and italic***
~~Strikethrough~~
`Inline code`
> Blockquote

Lists

- Unordered list item
- Another item
  - Nested item

1. Ordered list item
2. Another item
   1. Nested item

- [ ] Task list item
- [x] Completed task

Code Blocks

```python
def hello_world():
    print("Hello, World!")
```

```typescript
function greet(name: string): string {
    return `Hello, ${name}!`;
}
```

Tables

| Feature | Syntax | Use Case |
|---------|--------|----------|
| **Mermaid** | ```mermaid` | Diagrams |
| **Math** | `$...$` | Equations |
| **Code** | ```language` | Examples |

Links and Images

[Link text](https://example.com)
[Link with title](https://example.com "Title")

![Alt text](image.jpg)
![Image with title](image.jpg "Title")

Mermaid Diagrams

Create flowcharts, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, and more using Mermaid syntax.

Flowchart

```mermaid
graph TB
    A[Start] --> B{Decision}
    B -->|Yes| C[Action 1]
    B -->|No| D[Action 2]
    C --> E[End]
    D --> E
```

Sequence Diagram

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant App
    participant API
    participant DB
    
    User->>App: Request Data
    App->>API: GET /data
    API->>DB: Query
    DB-->>API: Results
    API-->>App: JSON Response
    App-->>User: Display Data
```

Class Diagram

```mermaid
classDiagram
    class User {
        +String name
        +String email
        +login()
        +logout()
    }
    class Document {
        +String title
        +String content
        +save()
        +share()
    }
    User "1" --> "*" Document : creates
```

Entity Relationship Diagram

```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER ||--o{ DOCUMENT : creates
    USER {
        int id PK
        string name
        string email
    }
    DOCUMENT {
        int id PK
        int user_id FK
        string title
        text content
    }
```

State Diagram

```mermaid
stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Draft
    Draft --> Review
    Review --> Published
    Review --> Draft
    Published --> Archived
    Archived --> [*]
```

Math Equations (KaTeX)

Write mathematical equations using LaTeX syntax with KaTeX rendering.

Inline Math

The quadratic formula $x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}$ solves equations.

Display Math (Block)

$$
\theta_{t+1} = \theta_t - \alpha \nabla J(\theta_t)
$$

Common Math Symbols

Greek letters: $\alpha, \beta, \gamma, \theta, \lambda$
Operators: $\sum, \prod, \int, \nabla, \partial$
Relations: $\leq, \geq, \neq, \approx, \equiv$
Sets: $\in, \notin, \subset, \cup, \cap$
Logic: $\forall, \exists, \neg, \land, \lor$

Matrices

$$
\begin{bmatrix}
a & b \\
c & d
\end{bmatrix}
$$

Fractions and Roots

Fraction: $\frac{numerator}{denominator}$
Square root: $\sqrt{x}$
Nth root: $\sqrt[n]{x}$

Subscripts and Superscripts

Subscript: $x_i, x_{i+1}$
Superscript: $x^2, x^{n+1}$
Both: $x_i^2, x_{i+1}^{n+1}$

AI Generation Tips

Let AI do the heavy lifting

Instead of writing complex diagrams or equations manually, describe what you want:

• "Create a sequence diagram showing OAuth authentication flow"
• "Generate an ER diagram for a blog database schema"
• "Write the mathematical proof for gradient descent convergence"
• "Draft an architecture document for a microservices system"

Next: Using KaTeX in AutEng

Practical guide to integrating mathematical equations in your documentation