What language is used in equations in Pages and Keynote? e.g. \texttt{}, \mathtt{}, \tt{} and \text{}

Question

This answer to How to include equations in-line with text within the cell of a table in Keynote? is quite helpful. I noticed that \text{} is interpreted as boldface, and I had to find something else to get "normal" looking text within an equation, whereas in MathJax that we use here in Stack Exchange \text{} produces "normal" text within an equation.

It seems that \mathtt{} and \tt{} produce "normal" looking text while \texttt{} and \text{}produce boldface font.

Question: When we start a recent version of Keynote or Pages, exactly what language is used to generate equations? Is it MathJax or Tex or LaTex or MathML or some mix? Is there a documentation page where I can find reliable information on how to format complicated equations with various features like matrices, aligned equal signs for several equations appearing in multiple lines, and other goodies?

Secondary question: Are there options for changing which language is used, or is it hard-coded?

Right now I only know Mathematics SE Meta's MathJax basic tutorial and quick reference and so far I've simply been lucky that most of what I do in MathJax seems to work in Notes and Pages.

Answer 1

Pages supports equations written with both LaTeX commands and MathML elements. However, it doesn't support all of each language providing only a subset of available features.

In regards MathJax, it is actually also the case that MathJax supports LaTeX and MathML markup, so that's why you'll find that commands used with MathJax also work with Pages. The environments, configurations, installed packages, and so on, are not the same however, and that's why you'll find inconsistencies in how the same lines of code are displayed in the two systems.

You'll find Apple's documentation for the feature here:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202501

There are no options to change which languages are supported by equations in Pages.