# TeX

> typesetting system

**Wikidata**: [Q5301](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5301)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TeX)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tex

## Summary

TeX is a typesetting software designed for the creation of high-quality printed documents, particularly those containing complex mathematical notation [1]. It was established on January 1, 1978 .

## Summary
TeX is a typesetting system and domain-specific programming language created for high-quality digital composition, especially for complex mathematical and technical documents. It was developed and programmed by Donald Knuth beginning in 1978 and is distributed cross-platform with a long-stabilized versioning scheme (current preferred stable version 3.141592653).

## Key Facts
- TeX was created, developed, and programmed by Donald Knuth and first published in 1978.  
- TeX’s inception and publication year is 1978, with a significant documentation publication dated September 1978.  
- TeX’s file extension is .tex and common media types include application/x-tex, text/x-tex, and math/tex (used by MathJax).  
- The preferred stable version is 3.141592653, with the qualifier “stable version” dated January 2021; earlier notable releases include 3.0 (1990), 3.1415 (1993-02-01), and several intermediate 3.x releases.  
- TeX is classified as typesetting software, a markup language, a file format, open-source software, a programming language, and an external domain-specific language.  
- The software is cross-platform and its source repository is hosted (preferred) at https://svn.tug.org:8369/texlive/ (ViewVC).  
- TeX was named after the Greek word techne and has IPA transcriptions tɛx and tɛk (determination method: Donald Knuth).  
- Copyright is held but the work has been dedicated to the public domain by the copyright holder.  
- Notable derivative works include XeTeX and pdfTeX; related extensions include pTeX (for Japanese) and the ConTeXt document processor.

## FAQs
### Q: What is TeX used for?
A: TeX is used for typesetting documents, especially those containing complex mathematical notation. It produces device-independent output and supports precise control over layout and fonts.

### Q: Who created TeX and when was it first released?
A: TeX was created and programmed by Donald Knuth. Its inception and first publications date to 1978.

### Q: Is TeX the same as LaTeX?
A: No. TeX is a distinct typesetting system and programming language; LaTeX is a different system built on top of TeX. TeX is listed as different from LaTeX in classification.

### Q: How is “TeX” pronounced?
A: The IPA transcriptions given are tɛx and tɛk; Donald Knuth determined the pronunciation tɛx.

## Why It Matters
TeX provides a rigorously specified, programmable foundation for digital typesetting, giving users deterministic control over document layout and mathematical composition. Its design as both a markup language and an executable typesetting program enabled precise, repeatable formatting and the creation of device-independent output formats. TeX’s long, carefully managed versioning—famously converging on digits of π—reflects an emphasis on stability and reproducibility for published documents. The system’s public-domain dedication by its copyright holder and its open-source classification facilitated wide reuse and the development of derivatives such as pdfTeX and XeTeX, plus extensions for multilingual needs (for example, pTeX for Japanese). TeX’s tooling and community infrastructure (TUG website, tex.stackexchange, a dedicated subreddit) support continued use, development, and documentation, making it a cornerstone tool for technical publishing, documentation systems, and domain-specific typesetting workflows.

## Notable For
- Long-stabilized versioning scheme ending in successive digits of π, with preferred stable version 3.141592653 (January 2021).  
- Precise typesetting control and device-independent output formats (writable device-independent format; readable TeX font metric).  
- Origin and primary development by Donald Knuth, who authored core code and documentation (The TeXbook published in 1984).  
- Public-domain dedication by the copyright holder while remaining classified as open-source software.  
- Serving as both a programming language / domain-specific language and a typesetting/file format, enabling extensive extensibility and derivatives (XeTeX, pdfTeX, pTeX, ConTeXt).

## Body
### Overview
- TeX is a typesetting system and external domain-specific programming language designed for high-quality composition of text and mathematical notation.  
- It is instance_of typesetting software, markup language, file format, open-source software, programming language.  
- Named after the Greek word techne.

### History and publication
- Inception and initial publication occurred in 1978.  
- A significant documentation publication is dated September 1978.  
- The TeXbook (documentation by Donald Knuth) is recorded with a publication event in November 1984.  
- A formal “freeze” event is noted with a point in time in 1989.

### Versioning
- TeX’s version numbers have been released incrementally, many reflecting successive digits of π.  
- Notable version entries include: 3.0 (March 1990), 3.1 (September 1990), 3.14 (March 1991), 3.141 (March 1992), 3.1415 (1993-02-01), 3.14159 (1995-03), 3.141592 (2002-12-01), 3.1415926 (2008-02-01), 3.14159265 (stable, 2014-01), and preferred stable 3.141592653 (2021-01).  
- The versioning practice emphasizes long-term stability of the core program.

### Technical characteristics
- File extension: .tex.  
- Media types: application/x-tex, text/x-tex, and math/tex (the latter used in contexts such as MathJax).  
- Readable file format example: TeX font metric.  
- Writable file format example: device independent (DVI) file format.  
- Programming languages used in the project include WEB; Stanford Artificial Intelligence Language is also listed in connection with TeX’s development era (start time 1978).

### Licensing and copyright
- Copyright is held but the work has been dedicated to the public domain by the copyright holder.  
- TeX is described as open-source software in classification.

### Related projects and derivatives
- Derivative works include XeTeX and pdfTeX.  
- pTeX is an extension of TeX for Japanese typesetting.  
- ConTeXt is a general-purpose document processor associated with the TeX ecosystem.  
- LaTeX is explicitly listed as different from TeX.

### Development and distribution
- Developer and programmer: Donald Knuth.  
- Source code and distribution are available via repositories; a preferred source_code_repository_url is https://svn.tug.org:8369/texlive/ (ViewVC).  
- Official web presence and resources include The TeX Users Group site at https://www.tug.org/.  
- Community support sites include tex.stackexchange.com and a subreddit named tex.

### Pronunciation and metadata
- IPA transcriptions: tɛx (determination method credited to Donald Knuth) and tɛk.  
- Named after techne.  
- Multiple authority and identifier entries exist (GND, VIAF, Library of Congress, BnF, etc.) indicating broad bibliographic and authority control coverage.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.tug.org/whatis.html)
2. [Source](http://mirrors.ctan.org/systems/knuth/dist/tex/tex.web)
3. [Source](http://at.ctan.niranjan.co/systems/knuth/dist/tex/tex.web)
4. [Source](https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/abcde.html)
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. [Source](https://tug.org/TUGboat/tb05-1/tb09knut.pdf)
7. [Source](https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01801576/document)
8. [Source](https://svn.apache.org/viewvc/httpd/httpd/tags/2.4.41/docs/conf/mime.types?revision=1864801&view=markup#l1322)
9. [Source](https://salsa.debian.org/debian/mime-support/blob/debian/3.64/mime.types#L806)
10. [Source](https://docs.mathjax.org/en/v2.7-latest/advanced/model.html)
11. YSO-Wikidata mapping project
12. Quora
13. Digital Typography
14. [Source](http://www.tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb07-2/tb15gordon.pdf)
15. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File