Hey, I see the screenshot. This is a known renderer limitation in Cursor.
Cursor only supports LaTeX with specific delimiters:
Inline math: \(...\)
Block math: \[...\] or $$...$$
Standard $...$ for inline math is intentionally not supported because it can conflict with the dollar sign. When the model outputs formulas using $...$, the renderer won’t recognize them, and * and _ inside formulas can accidentally trigger italic formatting. That’s why you see the “garbage” in the screenshot.
Workaround: add an instruction in .cursorrules to make the model use \(...\) instead of $...$ for inline math. Something like:
When writing mathematical formulas, always use \(...\) for inline math and \[...\] for block math. Never use $...$ notation.
The team knows this limitation gets in the way. Here’s the main thread for this feature request: LaTeX rendering in chat
Hey, I need a bit more info to figure out if this is the same case or a regression.
Can you send:
A recent screenshot showing how it breaks on 3.2.11, ideally with the raw formula visible. You can ask the model to show the same answer inside a code block.
The Request ID for that session: Chat menu in the top right > Copy Request ID.
Exactly what’s in your .cursorrules, word for word, and what format the model uses for formulas in the broken reply: $...$, \(...\), $$...$$, or something else.
If the model keeps using $...$ even with the rule, that’s on the prompt or the model. The rule isn’t holding it, so we’ll need a stronger workaround. If it’s already using \(...\) or $$...$$ and rendering still breaks, that’s a different bug, and we’ll need these details to escalate.
Hey, there’s no .cursorrules file by default, you need to create it yourself. The easiest option is to skip the file and add a User Rule in settings:
Cursor Settings → Rules → User Rules section
Paste this:
When writing mathematical formulas, always use \(...\) for inline math and \[...\] for block math. Never use $...$ notation.
Save, then open a new chat.
This will apply globally to all projects.
If you want it as a project file, create .cursor/rules/latex.mdc in the repo root with the same content. This is the new format, the old .cursorrules still works, but .cursor/rules/ is preferred.
After that, test it in a new chat. Ask the model to solve any equation and confirm it uses \(...\) instead of $...$. If it still uses $...$, send the Request ID chat menu top right → Copy Request ID and a screenshot of the broken rendering in 3.2.11, and we’ll dig in.
