eqword2llm

Equation Word → LLM: Convert equation-heavy Word documents (.docx) to Markdown with LaTeX math for LLM recognition.

Why eqword2llm?

Most Word-to-Markdown converters ignore or break mathematical equations. eqword2llm is specifically designed for scientific and technical documents where math equations are critical.

Features

• 🔢 Math equation conversion - OMML to LaTeX (inline $...$ and block $$...$$)
• 🔖 Automatic equation numbering - Block equations get \tag{N} (can be disabled)
• 🤖 LLM-optimized output - Clean Markdown that LLMs can understand
• 📋 Structured output - YAML frontmatter with equation metadata
• 📝 Prompt templates - Ready-to-use LLM prompts
• 🌍 Full Unicode support - Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and more
• 📊 Tables, lists, headings, formatting support
• 🐍 Zero dependencies - Python standard library only

Installation

# PyPI
pip install eqword2llm

# or with uv
uv add eqword2llm

Quick Start

Command Line

# Output to stdout (with equation numbers by default)
eqword2llm document.docx

# Output to file
eqword2llm document.docx -o output.md

# Disable equation numbering
eqword2llm document.docx -o output.md --no-equation-numbers

Python API

from eqword2llm import WordToMarkdownConverter

# With equation numbers (default)
converter = WordToMarkdownConverter("research_paper.docx")
markdown = converter.convert()

# Without equation numbers
converter = WordToMarkdownConverter("research_paper.docx", equation_numbers=False)
markdown = converter.convert()

With LLM APIs

import anthropic
from eqword2llm import WordToMarkdownConverter

# Convert Word document with equations
converter = WordToMarkdownConverter("math_paper.docx")
markdown = converter.convert()

# Send to Claude - equations are now readable!
client = anthropic.Anthropic()
response = client.messages.create(
    model="claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
    max_tokens=1024,
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": f"Explain the equations in this document:\n\n{markdown}"}
    ]
)

LLM-Ready Output Formats

Structured Output (YAML Frontmatter)

Get metadata about equations and document structure:

eqword2llm document.docx --format structured

result = converter.convert_structured()
print(result.metadata.equation_count)  # 5
print(result.metadata.equations[0].latex)  # "E = mc^{2}"
print(result.to_structured())  # Markdown with YAML frontmatter

Output:

---
format: eqword2llm/v1
source: document.docx
stats:
  sections: 3
  equations: 5
  headings: 8
equations:
  - id: 1
    latex: "E = mc^{2}"
    type: block
---

# Document content...

LLM Prompt Template

Generate a complete prompt ready to send to an LLM:

eqword2llm document.docx --format prompt

prompt = converter.to_llm_prompt()
# Or with custom instructions:
prompt = converter.to_llm_prompt(instructions="Summarize the key equations.")

Equation Numbering

Block equations are automatically numbered using LaTeX \tag{N} syntax:

With numbering (default):

$$
E = mc^{2} \tag{1}
$$

$$
F = ma \tag{2}
$$

Without numbering (equation_numbers=False or --no-equation-numbers):

$$
E = mc^{2}
$$

$$
F = ma
$$

Supported Math Elements

Multilingual Support

Full support for documents in any language:

Math symbols (α, β, ∑, ∫, etc.) are converted to LaTeX while preserving surrounding text.

Development

# Clone and setup
git clone https://github.com/manabelab/eqword2llm.git
cd eqword2llm
uv sync --dev

# Run tests
uv run pytest tests/ -v

# Lint and type check
uv run ruff check src tests
uv run mypy src

# Optional: Install KaTeX for LaTeX validation tests
# (Requires Node.js)
npm install katex

Note: Without KaTeX, 9 LaTeX validation tests will be skipped. Core functionality tests (59 tests) run without it.

Comparison with Other Tools

Concrete Examples

1. Determinant (Matrix with vertical bars)

Pandoc output (verbose, non-standard):

$$|A| = \left| \begin{matrix}
a & b \\
c & d
\end{matrix} \right| = ad - bc$$

eqword2llm output (concise, standard LaTeX):

$$
\left|A\right|=\begin{vmatrix}a & b \\ c & d\end{vmatrix}=ad-bc
$$

2. Word Field Codes (SEQ Equation)

Pandoc output (broken):

$$E = mc^{2}\#(\ SEQ\ Equation\ \backslash*\ ARABIC\ 1)$$

eqword2llm output (clean):

$$
E=mc^{2}
$$

3. Vector notation

Pandoc output (verbose):

$$\overset{\rightarrow}{v}$$

eqword2llm output (standard):

$$\vec{v}$$

📖 See detailed comparison with more examples →

Limitations

• Images are not currently supported
• Complex layouts (multiple columns, text boxes) are simplified
• Some special math symbols may not be converted

License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.

Contributing

Issues and Pull Requests are welcome!