Getting Started: Desmos Notebook

To add text, click the page and start typing. You can format your text using the controls in the formatting bar, which provides options for bold or italics. There, you can also undo and redo actions.

You can insert inline math into your text by typing ` or clicking Inline Math. When typing inline math, you can use keyboard shortcuts to add fractions, exponents, and other common symbols.

Open the Item menu to search for and add expressions, graphs, references to variables, and special characters \ and `.

The options available in the menu automatically update depending on what you select on the page. For example, if you select text or an expression line, the menu will include an option to add references to any notebook variables.

To add an expression, open the Item menu and select Expression. Or, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Return on Windows or Cmd+Return on Mac.

You can use an expression to perform calculations or define variables and functions. You can then reference these variables and functions from other expression lines or within graphs.

You can add Desmos Graphing, Geometry, and 3D graphs to your notebook in the editor. To do so, open the Item menu and select the desired type of graph. Or, use the keyboard shortcuts:

• 2D Graph: Ctrl+Alt+2 (Windows) or Ctrl+Cmd+2 (Mac)
• 3D Graph: Ctrl+Alt+3 (Windows) or Ctrl+Cmd+3 (Mac)
• Geometry: Ctrl+Alt+G (Windows) or Ctrl+Cmd+G (Mac)

When you select a graph, you will be able to edit its expression list in the Notebook sidebar. You can also click Graph Settings to adjust that graph’s settings. To zoom or pan a graph, click the graph and then View Fullscreen.

You can also import saved graphs from the Desmos Graphing, Geometry, or 3D Calculator. First, paste the URL of the intended graph into the search bar of the Item menu. Then, click the thumbnail that appears.

If you add multiple graphs, expression lines, or sliders to your notebook, you can drag their handles to rearrange their order.

You can also add columns to your notebook to place text, graphs, sliders, and expressions side by side.

Select Columns to insert a column to the left or right of your current cursor selection. Each column takes up half the width of the notebook, and the height will adjust to the included content. You can then drag items to organize them within columns.

The Notebook Variables menu displays all the variables defined in the notebook along with their current values.

When you define a variable in an expression in the notebook, it immediately appears in this menu. Click Variable Options to change the color associated with the variable or go to the expression line where that variable is defined.

If you define a variable within a graph, it won’t automatically appear under Notebook Variables.

If you’d like to reference a graph variable in expression lines within the notebook or in other graphs, you can connect the variable to the notebook. To do so, open the graph with the variable and click Connect to Notebook.

To reference the value of a variable throughout your notebook, you can use a token. Tokens can appear in text and in calculations within expressions and graphs.

To add a token, go to the Notebook Variables menu and click the intended token. Or, open the Item menu and add it from there.

When you add a token, it will display the variable’s numerical value by default. Click the token and then Variable to display the variable name instead. You can toggle between the two options for each token in the notebook. You can also click Go to Definition to locate the expression or graph where the variable is defined.

Just like in other Desmos graphing tools, you can add and adjust variable sliders that instantly update any graphs or expressions that use the variable.

To add a slider for any variable, click Variable Options and then Add Slider. If you define a variable within an expression in the notebook, you can also click Add Slider within the expression line.

You can adjust slider settings to control their appearance and behavior. Click Slider Options to access these settings. You can add a label (which defaults to the name of the variable) or toggle the display of the slider value.

You can also adjust the upper and lower bounds and step size, which determine the values that your variable can take. If you define a variable in a graph and then connect it to your notebook, you can change its slider settings in the graph where it’s defined or in a slider in the notebook.

To save your Notebook, press Save. If you aren’t logged in, you will be prompted to log in or create an account before saving.

To access your saved notebooks, click Open File. You can organize your saved notebooks alongside your saved graphs.

If you are logged in, you can also share a link to your notebook by clicking Share Notebook. Just like with graphs, you can share your saved notebook or a snapshot.

When you share a notebook, viewers will be able to drag sliders, move points, and interact with other items, but they won’t be able to edit any of the other contents.

Click Preview while in the editor to see how your shared notebook will appear to others.

To go to the editor from any shared notebook, click Open in Editor. You can also click Link Opens in Editor when you go to share the URL to have your notebook open in editor automatically.

Compare an example that automatically opens as a shared notebook to an example that opens in the editor.