The news is filled with artificial intelligence math solvers right now. WolframAlpha is promoted as the leader in solving math problems for you and even providing step-by-step answers to help explain the details.
There is one problem. None of the current options, WolframAlpha included, can help with word problems. If you enter a super simple word problem into WolframAlpha‘s solver, you end up with a complete misunderstanding of what you are asking. I tried a question from the very first lessons in DoodlesDoAlgebra, book 1:
Mary is as old as John and the sum of their ages is 22. How old are they?
The answer that the computational intelligence software provides is a ranking of the names Mary and John, the fraction of people in the US with those names, a trend of the popularity of those names from 1880 to the present, alternate versions of the names, etymology for each, a Wikipedia page summary, and age distribution for each of the names. Basically nonsense. The ai had no clue how to solve the word problem that most children in the upper elementary years can quickly and easily do without paper or pencil.
Most of the world’s math problems are, in fact, word problems. If you understand the math already, you know how to set up word problems as a series of formulas so that you can find your answer. Current AI math solvers have less trouble working through those formula-based problems, although even then there is only one I have found that works reliably with a simple interface and clear step-by-step answers (Hurricane Electric’s free math.he.net).
Take a look at math.he.net in action with an algebra equation recently featured in the Wall Street Journal’s article analyzing the usefulness of ChatGPT (the AI apparently used to help children in New York City schools):
The question:
Solve the equation 3x+4=11
the MathBot repeats the question back simply:
You asked:
Solve the equation 3x+4=11 for the variable x.
Then the MathBot follows with the solution:
MathBot Answer:
The solution to the equation is:
x=7/3=2.3
3x+4=11
3x=7
x=7/3
<<note: MathBot delivered the real number answer as 2.3 with a repeating sign above the 3, but WordPress limits me from scientific and math notation>>
According to the Wall Street Journal, the response to the same question by ChatGPT is:
The solution to the equation 3x+4=11 is x=3.
ChatGPT’s incorrect answer.
WolframAlpha gets the correct answer (x=7/3) and even plots the equation presumably to show how the solution is derived graphically, but without paying for the service you are not given any step-by-step help for solving the equation.
In summary, real-world word problems are not yet easily solvable by AI software.
If you have a simple equation that needs to be solved and you just want the answer only, WolframAlpha will do the job for you.
If you want the wrong answer, then try ChatGPT.
And, if you want the correct answer and a step-by-step solution (all free for anyone, no registration necessary), then use math.het.net’s Math Problem Solver to get answers across a vast range of math areas, including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, number theory, combinatorics, and probability.