[BUG] Inline math ($...$) not rendered in Claude Code interface while display math ($$...$$) works

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Description:

Summary

In the Claude Code desktop app, display math blocks ($$...$$) are rendered correctly, but inline math expressions ($...$) are displayed as raw LaTeX text instead of being rendered.

Actual Behavior

Inline math is shown as raw text with visible dollar signs and LaTeX syntax, e.g. $S = \pi r^2$ appears literally instead of as a rendered formula.

What Should Happen?

Expected Behavior

Inline math such as $E = mc^2$ should render as a formatted mathematical expression, consistent with how it appears in the Claude web chat interface.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Steps to Reproduce

Open the Claude desktop app and navigate to the Claude Code interface
Send the following message to Claude:
"Please write a sentence with inline math formulas, such as the area of a circle is $S = \pi r^2$"

Observe the response in the Claude Code pane
Result: The inline formula $S = \pi r^2$ appears as raw text with visible dollar signs instead of a rendered mathematical expression.

Note: Display math ($$...$$) renders correctly in the same interface, confirming that the renderer supports math — but only at the block level.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.118 (Claude Code)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

Possible Cause

The $ character is ambiguous in terminal contexts (shell variables, currency, etc.), so the renderer may intentionally skip single-dollar inline math detection. However, since display math already works, it would be valuable to extend rendering support to inline math as well.

Request

Please add inline math rendering support ($...$) to the Claude Code interface to match the behavior of the web chat interface.