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Cheat (or learn from) math problems with Mathway

If you've got some math problems that need solving, check out Mathway. This tool will show you how it reached its answer, letting you learn from the process.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn

Mathway is a Web calculator that not only solves math problems for you, but also shows you how it got to the answer with step-by-step directions. It's the kind of service that would have utterly ruined me in middle school if I had wanted to cruise through the stacks of homework without doing any of the actual computations.

Mathway covers several types of math genres, including high school level stuff like trigonometry and calculus. It'll also take any "basic math," like what you'd do with a calculator, although it's kind of a waste since most problems only involve one line of explanation. I'm guessing most people would simply open up their computers' calculator instead.

In addition to its problem solver, Mathway has a built-in graphing tool and a glossary--just in case the solver throws some terminology around that you haven't heard before. You can also embed any answer to show it off to others--although I'm betting more people are likely to use the e-mail link instead.

[via SimpleSpark]

Mathway solves simple to complex math problems and shows you what happened to get to the answer. It's a potential homework helper for students. CNET Networks