---
title: "Tables: alignment, code, math inline"
url: https://memory.wiki/hjlgK4OA
updated: 2026-05-14T18:15:49.480Z
hub: https://memory.wiki/hub/demo
concept_count: 12
source: "memory.wiki"
---
# Tables: alignment, code, math inline

> Showing the table-rendering primitives. Tables are where most documents fall apart — wrong alignment, wide cells, code formatting eats the layout. The patterns below work.

## Right-align numerics, left-align text

| Provider | Embedding model | Dim | Latency p95 (ms) | $/1M tokens |
|---|---|---:|---:|---:|
| OpenAI | text-embedding-3-small | 1536 | 8 | $0.02 |
| OpenAI | text-embedding-3-large | 3072 | 14 | $0.13 |
| Voyage | voyage-3-large | 1024 | 12 | $0.18 |
| Cohere | embed-v4 | 1024 | 28 | $0.10 |

The `---:` alignment marker is the part most authors miss. Numbers want to be right-aligned so columns line up at the decimal.

## Inline code inside cells

| Endpoint | Method | Auth | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `/api/docs/{id}` | GET | optional | Fetch a doc by id |
| `/api/docs` | POST | editToken | Create a new doc |
| `/api/bundles/{id}/graph` | POST | editToken or owner | Trigger AI analysis |
| `/api/hub/{slug}/recall` | POST | optional | Hybrid recall against a public hub |

## Math inside cells

| Concept | Notation | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | $e^{i\pi}+1=0$ | Slide 0 of any math lecture |
| 2-norm | $\|x\|_2 = \sqrt{\sum_i x_i^2}$ | Vector normalisation in recall |
| Cosine similarity | $\cos\theta = \frac{x \cdot y}{\|x\|\|y\|}$ | Every retrieval call |
| Softmax | $\sigma(x_i) = \frac{e^{x_i}}{\sum_j e^{x_j}}$ | Reranker score normalisation |

## When to break out of a table

If a row needs more than ~80 chars of prose in any one cell, the table is the wrong shape. Use a bulleted list or a short heading hierarchy instead. Tables earn their formatting by enabling comparison; once a single row needs paragraphs, the comparison is no longer the point.


---

## Concepts in this document
- **Table alignment patterns** _(concept)_
  Core principle that numeric columns need right-alignment for decimal readability while text columns use left-alignment.
- **Numeric right-alignment** _(concept)_
  The specific markdown syntax `---:` that enables decimal-point alignment in numeric columns, most commonly missed by authors.
- **Table alignment** _(concept)_
  Right-align numerics and left-align text to ensure readable column structure and decimal point clarity.
- **Alignment marker syntax** _(concept)_
  The `---:` markdown pattern controls column alignment and is frequently overlooked by authors.
- **Table content scope** _(concept)_
  Tables remain effective only when rows stay under ~80 characters; longer prose requires alternative formats.
- **Markdown table syntax** _(concept)_
  Technical specification for pipe-delimited columns and alignment markers that control how rendered tables appear.
- **Vector operations** _(tag)_
  Mathematical concepts like norms and cosine similarity appear throughout retrieval and AI systems.
- **Inline code formatting in tables** _(concept)_
  Technique for embedding backtick-wrapped code snippets (endpoints, tokens, identifiers) directly within table cells without breaking layout.
- **Mathematical notation in cells** _(concept)_
  Pattern for rendering LaTeX expressions inside table cells to display formulas like norms, similarity metrics, and activation functions.
- **Inline code formatting** _(concept)_
  Backtick code blocks within table cells preserve technical accuracy without disrupting layout.
- **Table readability limits** _(concept)_
  Decision criterion that tables should be abandoned when cell content exceeds ~80 characters, signaling the need for alternative formats.
- **API endpoint documentation** _(entity)_
  Example use case showing REST endpoints with methods, authentication requirements, and descriptions formatted in a comparison table.

## Concept relations (within this doc's concepts)
- **Numeric right-alignment** implements with **Markdown table syntax**
- **Table alignment patterns** includes principle of **Numeric right-alignment**
- **Table readability limits** constrains use of **Table alignment patterns**
- **Inline code formatting in tables** exemplified by **API endpoint documentation**
- **Mathematical notation in cells** supports documentation of **Vector operations**
- **Table alignment** implemented through **Alignment marker syntax**
- **Table content scope** constrains inclusion of **Inline code formatting**

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