Clarify how block vs inline math should be handled

[AndersEkl]

The <math> element can be both a block or an inline element. The display attribute doesn't seem to change the actual property of the <math> element, regardless of its value, but merely affects the way the math is displayed.

Standard HTML validation allows <math display="block"> in inline contexts, even though a browser effectively handles and displays it as a block element. Some other applications, however, treat it like an actual block element. Webarch, for instance.

My suggestion is to regard <math display="block"> as a block element.

[kvile-com]

If we have:

"Did you know that
1+1=2
already?"

it should not be marked up as:

<p>Did you know that</p>
<p><math><...>1+1=2</...></math></p>
<p>already?</p>

because it might generate unwanted pauses. It should be read the same way as <p>Did you know that <math display="block"><...>1+1=2</...></math> already?</p>

[samimaattaCelia]

Here is also reading on how MathML should be marked up together with HTML: MathML (HTML spec). The text is a bit dense for me, but the mark up example is like what @kvile-com wrote.

The MathML code is in inside the <p> element. This also makes it possible for proper sentence structure and grammar to be used.

<h1>The quadratic formula</h1>
  <p>
   <math>
    <mi>x</mi>
    <mo>=</mo>
    <mfrac>
     <mrow>
      <mo form="prefix">−</mo> <mi>b</mi>
      <mo>±</mo>
      <msqrt>
       <msup> <mi>b</mi> <mn>2</mn> </msup>
       <mo>−</mo>
       <mn>4</mn> <mo>⁢</mo> <mi>a</mi> <mo>⁢</mo> <mi>c</mi>
      </msqrt>
     </mrow>
     <mrow>
      <mn>2</mn> <mo>⁢</mo> <mi>a</mi>
     </mrow>
    </mfrac>
   </math>
  </p>