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Markdown Syntax for Mind Maps

Intended Use

  • When you want to hierarchically organize thoughts and information
  • When you want to input structured information to LLMs
  • When you want to import to mind mapping tools

Overview

This document explains Markdown syntax for representing mind maps. Using this syntax, you can create mind maps in simple text files and use them as LLM input.

Syntax Guide

Headings

Use # for headings. More # symbols mean deeper hierarchy.

markdown
# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

Lists

Use * or 1. for lists. Nest lists to express hierarchy.

markdown
# Heading 1
* List 1-1
  * List 2
    * List 3
* List 1-2

# Heading 2
1. List 1
2. List 2
   1. List 2-1

Checkboxes

Use - [ ] or - [x] for checkboxes.

markdown
# Tasks
- [ ] Incomplete task
- [x] Completed task

Quotes

Use > for quotes. More > symbols mean deeper hierarchy.

markdown
# Topic
> Quote 1
>> Quote 2

Text Decoration

Use *, **, or ~~ for text decoration.

markdown
# Heading
* Italic: *italic text*
* Bold: **bold text**
* Strikethrough: ~~strikethrough~~

Code Entry

Surround code with backticks.

markdown
# Code Examples
* `print("Hello, World!")`

Collapsible Sections

Use <details> and <summary> tags for collapsible content. Note: Many mind map tools won't expand this.

markdown
# <details><summary>Details</summary>Collapsed content</details>

Use [Display Text](URL) format for links.

markdown
# Reference Links
* [Wikipedia](https://www.wikipedia.org/)

Image Embedding

Use ![Alt Text](Image URL) format for images. Longer alt text displays larger images.

markdown
# Icons
* ![Icon](https://example.com/icon.png) Icon description

How to Use

  1. Place the topic at the top level with #
  2. Hierarchically list related items with * or 1.
  3. Use checkboxes or quotes as needed
  4. When inputting to LLM, provide text structured with this syntax

Input Example

markdown
# AI Technology
## Machine Learning
### Supervised Learning
* Regression
* Classification
### Unsupervised Learning
* Clustering
* Dimensionality Reduction
## Deep Learning
* CNN
* Transformer

Output Example

Mind maps created with this syntax can be analyzed and summarized by LLMs while understanding the structure.

Notes

  • Many mind mapping tools support Markdown import
  • Some tools may not display certain syntax (like collapsible sections) correctly
  • When inputting to LLMs, unify indentation so the hierarchical structure is clear