ChatGPT (o1 / o3) recommended
Strength
Leading benchmarks on hard problems; deep multi-step reasoning.
Weakness
Slower and more expensive per query.
When to use
Olympiad-style problems, competition math, advanced proofs.
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From homework to formal proofs — which model actually does the arithmetic right.
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Math is the use case where AI used to be unreliable and is now, with reasoning-mode models, surprisingly strong — but with caveats. The frontier reasoning models (OpenAI's o-series, Claude's thinking mode, Gemini's deep-think) solve problems that stumped earlier AIs. They also still make arithmetic mistakes that any pocket calculator wouldn't.
Below is the practical ranking for everyday math, plus what to do when the answer matters.
OpenAI's reasoning models lead on most math benchmarks (AIME, MATH, FrontierMath). For multi-step problems that need real chain-of-thought, this is the model to use. Claude's thinking mode is a close second and often produces clearer working.
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Strength
Leading benchmarks on hard problems; deep multi-step reasoning.
Weakness
Slower and more expensive per query.
When to use
Olympiad-style problems, competition math, advanced proofs.
Strength
Clearest working, strong on word problems and applied math.
Weakness
Slightly behind o-series on competition-style.
When to use
Word problems, applied calculations, math tutoring.
Strength
Strong reasoning; integrates with Wolfram/code execution.
Weakness
Inconsistent on very symbolic work.
When to use
Mixed numerical + symbolic problems.
Strength
Surprisingly strong, willing to commit to an answer.
Weakness
Less explanation than the others by default.
When to use
Quick verifications, second opinions.
Does it actually compute the numbers right?
Will it follow multi-step proofs without losing the thread?
Can you see every step, or does it skip to the answer?
Will it verify its own arithmetic when asked?
Claude for tutoring (shows clearest work). Always have it explain step-by-step, not just give the answer.
Compute in real software (R, Python). Use AI to explain and write about the result.
Usually. Sometimes not. Always check the final arithmetic against a calculator.
Ask for steps, then ask the model to verify each step a different way. Or run two models in MultipleChat and compare.
MultipleChat lets you run the same prompt across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok side-by-side. Verify the ranking on your actual work, not someone else's benchmark.
Try MultipleChat FreeAlso see: Which AI should I use? (quiz) · Best AI for other tasks · AI for your profession
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See the AI subscription that replaces separate ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok accounts.
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