Issues of Rendering Arabic Mathematical Notation in Computer Software

Typeface technology has become quite complex over the years. There have been several attempts to use Arabic calligraphic styles in computer typography. These proved to be useful, but they had their shortcomings and drawbacks. Computational time cost and lack of Arabic script documentation were the most crucial issues with that work. In a few studies, the accuracy of results obtained also was an issue. In this paper, we study and analyze Arabic calligraphy rules and the challenges that they introduce to Arabic mathematical notation. We take into account that Arabic script is written from right to left and that it is justified using stretching letters that are ruled by specific techniques. We review the difficulties of writing Arabic mathematical notation in computer software as well as attempted solutions to these problems.