This page explains how to place various mathematical characters into HTML documents. An older version of this document is available here. The symbols have been grouped into the following categories:
Operation Symbols |
Relation Symbols |
Arrows and Brackets |
Greek Symbols |
Miscellaneous Symbols |
Update (19 Mar 2007): Additional character entities
INTRODUCTION
There are several ways to add these symbols to your pages. I will omit consideration of symbols which appear on the keyboard unless, like &, they have a special HTML meaning. Of course, for any symbol, a .gif image can be created and the image displayed using the <img> tag. I will omit consideration of this strategy as well. In the tables below three codes will be given for displaying a character: the HTML numerical code, a code that can be placed between a FONT FACE tag, and a special HTML literal code (where available).
One more thing. To form superscripts or subscripts use the <SUP> or <SUB> tags.
WARNING: Sometimes the numeric code for a symbol is the same as used within FONT FACE tags, but sometimes it's different. For example, \ produces \ while <FONT FACE="Symbol">\</FONT> produces \. Also, while the codes appear to have become "standard" it is possible that some browser will not support certain characters. This will most likely be a problem when using the FONT FACE method.
BROWSER TEST: To view symbols with numeric codes above 255 and perhaps some literal code symbols the browser character encoding must be set to unicode (UTF-8).
If the following string of symbols cannot be read, the browser setting needs to be changed.
Upwards arrow (Numeric code: ↑, Literal code: ↑), intersection (Numeric code: ∩, Literal code: ∩)
NAME | SYMBOL | NUMERIC CODE |
FONT FACE="Symbol" Code | LITERAL CODE |
---|---|---|---|---|
For all | ∀ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">"</FONT> | ∀ | |
There exist | ∃ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">$</FONT> | ∃ | |
Not | ¬ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ø</FONT> | ¬ | |
And (meet) | ∧ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ù</FONT> | ∧ | |
Or (join) | ∨ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ú</FONT> | ∨ | |
Intersection | ∩ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ç</FONT> | ∩ | |
Union | ∪ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">È</FONT> | ∪ | |
Plus or minus | ± | <FONT FACE="Symbol">±</FONT> | ± | |
Times | × | <FONT FACE="Symbol">´</FONT> | × | |
Partial derivative | ∂ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">¶</FONT> | ∂ | |
Solid dot | ∙ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">·</FONT> | None | |
Middle dot | · | <FONT FACE="Symbol">×</FONT> | · | |
Circle times | ⊗ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ä</FONT> | ⊗ | |
Circle plus | ⊕ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Å</FONT> | ⊕ | |
Division | ÷ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">¸</FONT> | ÷ | |
Big product | ∏ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Õ</FONT> | ∏ | |
Big sum | ∑ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">å</FONT> | ∑ | |
Square root | √ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ö</FONT> | √ | |
Integral | ∫ | ∫ |
NAME | SYMBOL | NUMERIC CODE |
FONT FACE="Symbol" Code | LITERAL CODE |
---|---|---|---|---|
Contains the element | ∍ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">'</FONT> | None | |
Is a member of | ∈ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Î</FONT> | ∈ | |
Is not a member of | ∉ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ï</FONT> | ∉ | |
Less than | < | < | ||
Greater than | > | > | ||
Isomorphism | ≅ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">@</FONT> | ≅ | |
Perpendicular | ⊥ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">^</FONT> | ⊥ | |
Vertical bar | | | <FONT FACE="Symbol">|</FONT> | None | |
Vertical line | None | <FONT FACE="Symbol">½</FONT> | None | |
Less than or equal | ≤ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">£</FONT> | ≤ | |
Greater than or equal | ≥ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">³</FONT> | ≥ | |
Not equal to | ≠ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">¹</FONT> | ≠ | |
Equivalent to | ≡ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">º</FONT> | ≡ | |
Approximately | ≈ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">»</FONT> | ≈ | |
Similar to | ∼ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">~</FONT> | ∼ | |
Empty set | ∅ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Æ</FONT> | ∅ | |
Contains properly | ⊃ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">É</FONT> | ⊃ | |
Contains | ⊇ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ê</FONT> | ⊇ | |
Not included in | ⊄ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ë</FONT> | ⊄ | |
Proper subset of | ⊂ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ì</FONT> | ⊂ | |
Subset of | ⊆ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Í</FONT> | ⊆ |
NAME | SYMBOL | NUMERIC CODE |
FONT FACE="Symbol" Code | LITERAL CODE |
---|---|---|---|---|
Left brace | [ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">[</FONT> | None | |
Right brace | ] | <FONT FACE="Symbol">]</FONT> | None | |
Left angle bracket | None | <FONT FACE="Symbol"><</FONT> | None | |
Right angle bracket | None | <FONT FACE="Symbol">></FONT> | None | |
Left curley bracket | { | <FONT FACE="Symbol">{</FONT> | None | |
Right curley bracket | } | <FONT FACE="Symbol">}</FONT> | None | |
Double arrow | ↔ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">«</FONT> | ↔ | |
Left arrow | ← | <FONT FACE="Symbol">¬</FONT> | ← | |
Up arrow | ↑ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">­</FONT> | ↑ | |
Right arrow | → | <FONT FACE="Symbol">®</FONT> | → | |
Down arrow | ↓ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">¯</FONT> | ↓ | |
Double big arrow | ⇔ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Û</FONT> | ⇔ | |
Double left arrow | ⇐ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ü</FONT> | ⇐ | |
Double up arrow | ⇑ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ý</FONT> | ⇑ | |
Double right arrow | ⇒ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Þ</FONT> | ⇒ | |
Double down arrow | ⇓ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">ß</FONT> | ⇓ | |
Ellipsis | … | <FONT FACE="Symbol">¼</FONT> | … | |
Left angle quote | « | « | ||
Right angle quote | » | » |
NAME | SYMBOL | NUMERIC CODE |
FONT FACE="Symbol" Code | LITERAL CODE |
---|---|---|---|---|
alpha | α | <FONT FACE="Symbol">a</FONT> | α | beta | β | <FONT FACE="Symbol">b</FONT> | β | gamma | γ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">g</FONT> | γ | delta | δ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">d</FONT> | δ | epsilon | ε | <FONT FACE="Symbol">e</FONT> | ε | zeta | ζ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">z</FONT> | ζ | eta | η | <FONT FACE="Symbol">h</FONT> | η | theta | θ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">q</FONT> | θ | iota | ι | <FONT FACE="Symbol">i</FONT> | ι | kappa | κ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">k</FONT> | κ | lambda | λ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">l</FONT> | λ | mu | μ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">m</FONT> | μ | nu | ν | <FONT FACE="Symbol">n</FONT> | ν | xi | ξ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">x</FONT> | ξ | omicron | ο | <FONT FACE="Symbol">o</FONT> | ο | pi | π | <FONT FACE="Symbol">p</FONT> | π | rho | ρ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">r</FONT> | ρ | sigma | σ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">s</FONT> | σ | tau | τ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">t</FONT> | τ | upsilon | υ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">u</FONT> | υ | phi | φ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">j</FONT> | φ | chi | χ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">c</FONT> | χ | psi | ψ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">y</FONT> | ψ | omega | ω | <FONT FACE="Symbol">w</FONT> | ω |
NAME | SYMBOL | NUMERIC CODE |
FONT FACE="Symbol" Code | LITERAL CODE |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blank space | None | <FONT FACE="Symbol"> </FONT> | | |
Number sign | None | <FONT FACE="Symbol">#</FONT> | None | |
Percent | % | <FONT FACE="Symbol">%</FONT> | None | |
Ampersand | & | <FONT FACE="Symbol">&</FONT> | & | |
Prime | ′ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">¢</FONT> | ′ | |
Double prime | ″ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">²</FONT> | ″ | |
Quote | None | <FONT FACE="Symbol">²</FONT> | " | |
Therefore | ∴ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">\</FONT> | ∴ | |
Upper bar | None | <FONT FACE="Symbol">`</FONT> | None | |
Infinity | ∞ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">¥</FONT> | ∞ | |
Degree | ° | <FONT FACE="Symbol">°</FONT> | ° | |
Long dash | None | <FONT FACE="Symbol">¾</FONT> | None | |
Aleph | ℵ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">À</FONT> | ℵ | |
Angle sign | ∠ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ð</FONT> | ∠ | |
Upside-down triangle | ∇ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ñ</FONT> | ∇ | |
One-half | ½ | ½ | ||
Cent sign | ¢ | ¢ | ||
Registered sign | ® | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ò</FONT> | ® | |
Copyright sign | © | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ó</FONT> | © | |
Trademark sign | ™ | <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ô</FONT> | ™ |