Typing Systems of Equations

I have previously been able to type systems of equations that displayed properly with the left bracket. My notes say that I typed:

$ {2x - y = 5 \brace 6x + 5y = 8} $

But when I put that in, I get this in the question:

LaTex: $ {2x - y = 5 \brace 6x + 5y = 8} $

I've also tried entering this in the html view and get the same thing.

I have about 30 systemd to type. Help!

Find more posts tagged with

Accepted answers

KellyWeems83996860

Thank you so much. Our Instructional Design people strongly recommend that we use classic quizzes, but it looks like I will need to use the new quiz instead. Next up is converting a calculus class to our new format. I will need more advanced math formatting. I appreciate your help!

All comments

jeremyfw

In many Canvas fields, \[ \] are not parsed as math. They’re treated as plain text. Canvas wants dollar signs.

✅ This WILL render correctly in Canvas

Use double dollar signs:

$$
\left\{
\begin{aligned}
2x - y &= 5 \\
6x + 5y &= 8
\end{aligned}
\right.
$$

That should render visually as:

$Math formula.png$

Why this happens (Canvas logic, briefly)

Canvas’s MathJax configuration is inconsistent across:

Rich Content Editor
Quizzes
New Quizzes
Item Banks

In many of those:

$...$ and $$...$$ ✅
\[...\] ❌ (treated as literal text)

So when you saw text, Canvas never entered math mode.

Canvas-safe rules of thumb (worth standardizing)

Block math → $$ ... $$
Inline math → $ ... $
Avoid cases
Avoid \[ \]
Use aligned + \left\{

This is one of those places where LaTeX purity bows to platform reality. The math is correct; Canvas is just a fussy parser with a short attention span.

Now for the next 30 on your to-do list, good luck!

Cheers,

KellyWeems83996860

Thank you. I still cannot get it to work. Where are you putting this code? I am in the question banks. I have tried to put it in the math editor since I have read that you can put LaTex directly in there. I have switched to HTML and put it there. I still am not getting the system displayed - just exactly what I typed.

jeremyfw

HI @KellyWeems83996860,

The example I provided is using New Quizzes, creating a quiz and using a Numeric Question, the LATEX block example was pasted directly into the Question Stem box (no math editor used). If you are using Classic Quiz > Question Banks or Quiz, then that's a completely different story.

Why this difference exists

Classic Quizzes uses legacy MathJax with restricted parsing
Question Banks are even more constrained than quiz questions
New Quizzes runs a newer math pipeline that properly supports environments like aligned

So the same LaTeX string behaves differently depending on:

Classic vs New Quizzes
Bank vs question body
Inline vs display math

Bottom line

My original block above is New Quizzes–only
Classic Question Banks require simpler LaTeX
If you need consistent, aligned systems of equations:
- Use New Quizzes, or
- Convert systems to images for Classic, or
- Accept reduced formatting when using Equation Editor

This isn’t user error - it’s a real platform limitation baked into Classic Quizzes.

What the Classic Equation Editor can do

The Classic Equation Editor is designed for single expressions, not structured math layouts.

It supports things like:

Fractions
Exponents
Square roots
Single equations

So using the editor, you’d end up with something like:

{ 2x − y = 5  6x + 5y = 8 }

But visually, this becomes:

A normal-sized curly brace, not a tall one
No vertical alignment
Often rendered as two separate lines or awkward spacing
Sometimes the brace doesn’t scale at all

In other words: mathematically readable, typographically disappointing.

What it cannot do

The Classic Equation Editor does not support:

aligned, cases, or other environments
Auto-scaling braces
Multi-line equation structures
Vertical alignment on equals signs

Those features require MathJax environments that Classic Question Banks simply don’t honor when content is inserted via the editor.

What instructors usually do instead

In Classic Question Banks, people typically choose one of these compromises:

2x − y = 5 6x + 5y = 8(Most reliable)
{ 2x − y = 5 6x + 5y = 8 }(Readable, not pretty)
Image of the system
- Screenshot or generated math image
- Inserted via the Rich Content Editor
- Surprisingly common for math-heavy courses

Why this matters

Classic Question Banks predate modern MathJax support. They were never built for rich mathematical layouts—only inline expressions. That’s why the same LaTeX works in New Quizzes but fails silently in Classic.

Bottom line

If you’re using Classic Question Banks:

The Equation Editor cannot produce your example layout
Pasting advanced LaTeX won’t reliably work
You must simplify the presentation or switch quiz engines

If the visual structure matters pedagogically (and in math, it often does), New Quizzes is the correct tool, not Classic.

KellyWeems83996860

I am still frustrated.

I am in New Quiz item banks. We will not have Canvas grade these quizzes. Students upload pictures of their work. In Classic quizzes I used the essay question type. I tried the numerical question in new quizzes, but it was reqiuring me to post an answer. I do not want to do that. So, I switched to essay type. When I put in your code, that is exactly what I see in the question, not the math notation.

I played around with leaving the $$ off and it worked. But then I wanted to put something inline instead of centering and found that I needed a single $.

Is there a good beginner's guide that you know of? I have got to type the quiz questions for a calculus course in the next two weeks.

I'm not sure that I have even

jeremyfw

If your students will be uploading pictures of their work (and this is not graded), then consider 'File Upload' question type (use the Equation Editor by default when in Item Banks - more reliable), OR just create an assignment (set it as complete/incomplete and not counting towards final grade) and set submission to online > file uploads.

References

Canvas supports a subset of LaTeX via MathJax, and behavior varies depending on whether math is entered via the Equation Editor or directly into the editor. These references explain both the syntax and Canvas-specific limitations.

Canvas Math & LaTeX Guide
Instructure Community – Canvas Equation Editor Tips: Math Expressions Using LaTeX
https://community.instructure.com/en/kb/articles/387058-canvas-equation-editor-tips-math-expressions-using-latex?utm_source=community-search&utm_medium=organic-search&utm_term=Math-Editor-and-LaTeX-Overview

Overleaf LaTeX Cheat Sheet
Excellent reference for calculus notation, including aligned, cases, and systems of equations:
https://www.overleaf.com/learn/latex/Mathematical_expressions

MathJax Basic Syntax & Quick Reference
Covers inline vs display math, aligned, cases, and \left / \right:
https://math.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/5020/mathjax-basic-tutorial-and-quick-reference

Unanswered Questions

Dropped Scores
I have Canvas set to drop the lowest quiz score, however, my students can only barely tell that the grade text is slightly grey when dropped. Can it have a tag like the "missing" and "exempt" ones in the student gradebook?
Batch edit assignment due dates by section
My Canvas shell has three different sections that all meet at different times throughout the week. I need to be able to batch edit assignment due dates by section, but right now Canvas can't filter by section for batch edit. My only option is now to manually (tediously) edit due dates for each assignment individually.
Change Group Assignments to NOT save if no groups are selected
Morning! One of the more frustrating aspects of Canvas are groups and the issues that show up when copying courses that have them. But now we have yet another issue. Most recently we have had instances where people mark an assignment/discussion as a group assignment but then do not link the discussion or assignment to any…
Has anyone experienced the "Empty Course" page for Speedgrader, when there actually are students assigned and active on the assignment?
So, we have encountered a few assignments where the Speedgrader presents the teacher with the "Empty Course" page, even though the course is not empty. I have discovered two New Quizzes in the same course where this has occurred, despite multiple students being assigned (at Module level, which passes the permission down to…
Problems with grading since update
A teacher has expressed concerns with the recent update. Exact concern is as follows: "My Canvas has been acting glitchy since the last "update." For instance, when I grade essays the highlight and cursor tools do not always work. I have to try highlighting several times,or come back later to finish. It's told me I "ran…