explaingit

josdejong/mathjs

Analysis updated 2026-06-24 · repo last pushed 2026-05-12

15,028JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5MaintainedSetup · easy

TLDR

Math.js is a math library for JavaScript and Node.js that adds big numbers, complex numbers, fractions, units, matrices, an expression parser, and symbolic computation including derivatives.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((mathjs))
    Inputs
      Numbers
      Expression strings
      Matrices
      Units
    Outputs
      Computed values
      Derivatives
      Converted units
    Use Cases
      Calculator apps
      Unit conversion
      Symbolic math
      Matrix math
    Tech Stack
      JavaScript
      Node.js
      TypedFunction
Click or tap to explore — scroll the page freely

Code map

Detail Auto

An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Build a web calculator that handles units like 12.7 cm to inch

USE CASE 2

Add symbolic differentiation to a teaching tool or notebook UI

USE CASE 3

Run matrix and complex-number math inside a Node.js data pipeline

USE CASE 4

Evaluate user-entered math expressions safely from a command-line tool

What is it built with?

JavaScriptNode.jsTypeScript

How does it compare?

josdejong/mathjspaperjs/paper.jskriskowal/q
Stars15,02815,03315,037
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2026-05-122024-07-232023-11-08
MaintenanceMaintainedStaleDormant
Setup difficultyeasymoderateeasy
Complexity2/53/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Single npm install on any ES2020 runtime.

In plain English

Math.js is a math library for JavaScript and for Node.js, the runtime that lets you run JavaScript outside of a browser. It is meant to extend what the language gives you for math out of the box. JavaScript on its own has a small Math object with things like sine and square root, but it works only on ordinary numbers. Math.js adds many more kinds of values and many more functions. The supported value types include regular numbers, big numbers for arbitrary precision, BigInts, complex numbers, fractions, physical units, strings, arrays, and matrices. Functions know how to handle these together, so you can multiply a regular number by a complex number, or do matrix operations and unit conversions in the same expression. A notable feature is the expression parser. Instead of writing JavaScript code, you can pass a string like 12.7 cm to inch or det([-1, 2, 3, 1]) and the library will evaluate it. The README also shows chained operations, where you start with a value and call a sequence of methods on it. The same expression parser can be used as a command-line application. Symbolic computation is supported too, including taking derivatives. Installation is through npm or by downloading a bundle from one of the CDNs listed on the project website. The library runs on any JavaScript engine that supports the ES2020 standard, which covers current versions of Node, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. The README also documents the internals for contributors. The architecture is built on a library called typed-function, which lets one function name accept many input types and convert between them, plus a dependency injection setup that lets higher-level functions like prod automatically pick up new types added to lower-level ones like multiply. The full README is longer than what was shown.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Install mathjs and write a Node script that parses the expression det([-1, 2, 3, 1]) and prints the result
Prompt 2
Show me how to convert 12.7 cm to inches with mathjs and format the result to 3 decimal places
Prompt 3
Build a small REPL using mathjs where each line is evaluated and the result kept in a variable named ans
Prompt 4
Use mathjs to compute the symbolic derivative of x^2 sin(x) and simplify the resulting expression
Prompt 5
Configure mathjs to use BigNumber precision so a long financial calculation does not lose accuracy

Frequently asked questions

What is mathjs?

Math.js is a math library for JavaScript and Node.js that adds big numbers, complex numbers, fractions, units, matrices, an expression parser, and symbolic computation including derivatives.

What language is mathjs written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, Node.js, TypeScript.

Is mathjs actively maintained?

Maintained — commit in last 6 months (last push 2026-05-12).

How hard is mathjs to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is mathjs for?

Mainly developer.

Open on GitHub → Explain another repo

This repo across BitVibe Labs

Verify against the repo before relying on details.