The Mathway - Math problem solverapplication for iPadthere are 10 calculators in one. Whether you're working with basic math, algebra, calculus, trigonometry, chemistry, or statistics, Mathway can launch a calculator (on a virtual keyboard) with the symbols and tools for the type of problem you need to solve. Also, the app can help you frame the problem to make sure it gives you what you need. It's a valuable resource for students and scientists alike, making it an Editors' Choice educational app.
show your work
The basic Mathway app, which allows you to solve problems using your virtual calculators, is free. If you want to see the steps to solve the problems, you will have to pay. Upgrading to the paid version costs a monthly subscription of $19.99 or $79.99 per year. Paying removes all third-party advertising (not that there's much in the free version). It also allows you to save your problem history and access step-by-step solutions from anywhere. Depending on how long you turn on step verification, it might cost you some money, but your subscription can be easily cancelled. Also, the paid version can act as a valuable "virtual tutor" for students, not only giving them the answers but also showing them how the app came to them.
You can trust our reviews
Since 1982, PCMag has been testing and evaluatingthousands of productsto help you make better purchasing decisions.Read our editorial mission(Opens in a new window)&See how we test it (Opens in a new window).
Even the free version is a valuable tool for students, anyone involved in math or science, or even anyone who occasionally needs to solve math problems that are beyond the capabilities of their computer's built-in calculator function. In fact, if you only use Mathway to crunch numbers, there's no reason to upgrade. We haven't reviewed any apps directly comparable to Mathways; TheWolfram AlphaThe iPad app has some equation-solving abilities, but Mathways' features go much further than that.
similar products
3.5
Bom
Professor Ian Stewart's Incredible Numbers (for iPad)
Read the review of Our Incredible Numbers by Professor Ian Stewart (for iPad)
5,0
Copy
Theodore Gray's Molecules (for iPad)
Read the review of Our Molecules by Theodore Gray (for iPad)
4.5
Exceptional
Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy (for iPad)
Read our review of Our Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy (for iPad)
5,0
Copy
Notes on Blindness VR (for iPad)
Read our Blindness VR (for iPad) review notes
4.5
Exceptional
Attenborough Life Story (for iPad)
Read our review of Attenborough's life (for iPad)
3.5
Bom
Wolfram Alpha (for iPad)
Read our WolframAlpha (for iPad) review
To update the app, tap the Update button that appears in a drop-down menu when you tap the gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen. Then select between the $19.99 monthly subscription and the $79.99 annual subscription, and when prompted, enter your Apple ID. You are billed through your Apple account, not directly through Mathway. If you get tired of the paid version or it doesn't meet your needs, it's easy to cancel your subscription in the Settings menu on iPad.
Mathway is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch; There is also a version for Android. I tried with aiPad area 2running iOS 10.3. First, I looked at the free features and then I tried the paid features by paying a monthly subscription.
A cornucopia of calculators
In the upper left corner of the screen is a list icon (three stacked lines) which, when pressed, reveals a drop-down menu listing the app's 10 subject areas: Basic Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus , statistics, finite mathematics, linear algebra, chemistry. Other topics are covered as well, but would appear under one of the headings above. For example, the Basic Math calculator includes keys marked with various geometric shapes: square, circle, triangle, cube, cone, sphere, and cylinder, among others.
To understand how the functions work, you need to explore them, as the app doesn't have a help function ready (although the Mathway website offers a lot of information). For example, pressing the calculator key marked with a circle displays a circle with a dotted line indicating its radius (r), Followed by "r= ?" with the question mark shaded gray, prompting you to enter a value forr🇧🇷 If you enter a value, say 1.3, and press Enter, a menu titled "How should I respond?" appears, offering 10 options, including Find Area, Find Circumference, Graph, Evaluate Function, and Convert to Radical Shape.
Similarly, in the trigonometry calculator, touching Sin/Cos on the keyboard brings to the fore a keyboard with 24 buttons: Sin, Cos, Tan, Sec, Csc, and Cot; Arcsen, Arccos, etc. If you press Without and typeX,a list of operations appears under the question "How should I respond?" Pressing the first item, Graph, opens a graph of a sine curve, for example.
All 10 calculators share the leftmost 2/3 of the keyboard, which includes commonly used symbols such as integers 0 through 9, variablesx, y,miz,opening and closing parentheses and square brackets, signs for the four basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), an equal sign, exponents, and roots.
What sets them apart is the other third of the keyboard, whether it's geometric shapes in basic math, the 24 calculator functions in trigonometry, or calculation logs, sums, integrals, and limits, to name a few.
There are two ways to enter an equation in Mathways: by using the keyboard or by photographing the equation with your iPad's camera. I had more success with the keyboard, although it took some trial and error to get certain items like exponents entered correctly. While entering equations by simply photographing them is a great idea, in practice the app didn't recognize some of the characters well. Pi, for example, often confused him. Some of my proofs were common physics and geometry equations taken from web pages. Since they vary in font and spacing, I'm willing to give the app a breather here, but it ran into some of the same issues (though to a lesser extent) when I photographed equations in the Examples section of the Mathway website.
squared value
You can think of Mathway as the Photoshop of math apps: it has many more features and functionality than a typical user is likely to need. Finding the exact resources you need to use may take some digging, but they're probably there. The only functional issue I found while testing the app is its inconsistency in rendering equations taken with my iPad, but you can always enter them from the keyboard.
Mathways is an especially great tool if you major in science or are a student of math or science and frequently need to solve even slightly complex math problems. If you need to see the steps to calculate an answer, it will cost you more, but it's still much cheaper than hiring a math tutor. The feature-rich Mathway app wins our Editors' Choice for an educational app for iPad.
Mathway - Math Problem Solver (for iPad)
4.0
Editors Choice
(Opens in a new window)
See $0.00 on Apple.com (Opens in a new window)Recommended retail price $19.99
advantage
-
Good at solving a wide variety of mathematical equations.
-
Paid subscriptions show the work that goes into solutions.
-
Powerful free version.
Contras
-
Expensive subscriptions.
-
Meticulous character recognition with equations photographed by iPad.
Conclution
Mathway - Math Problem Solver is like 10 scientific calculators in one iPad app. With a paid subscription, you can see the work that goes into your solutions, but the free version is good for doing calculations.
Do you like what you are reading?
enroll inlaboratory reportto get the latest reviews and top product tips straight to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, offers or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to ourTerms of usemiPrivacy Policy🇧🇷 You can unsubscribe from newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Subscribe to other newsletters