Most math help online hands you a final number and nothing else, which is useless the moment the next problem changes the setup. AI for math homework should show the work, not hide it. Lensia is a Chrome extension whose main surface is a sidebar chat that opens right next to your problem set and stays there while you work. You paste a problem, read the full derivation, then ask "why does that step work?" and keep going until the method makes sense. When you just need a quick read on one equation already on your screen, a floating panel grabs it in a couple of seconds. Either way you see every step, which is the part that carries over to the test. Install Lensia free.
Use it honestly. Lensia is a study aid. Work the problem yourself first, then use it to check your steps, find where you went wrong, and drill more practice. Using it on a graded assessment where AI is off-limits is academic dishonesty. This guide is about learning to solve the problems on your own.
The sidebar is where you work a problem out
A hard math problem is a conversation, not a single answer, and that is exactly what the sidebar is built for. Open it from the Lensia icon in your Chrome toolbar, and a chat docks next to your homework in Chrome's side panel. Every plan has it.
Here is the loop that actually teaches you the method:
- Type or paste the full problem, including the given values, units, and any conditions.
- Read the step-by-step solution.
- When one step loses you, ask about that step specifically: "where did the 2 come from?" or "why factor here instead of expand?"
- Ask for one more problem like it, attempt it cold, then paste your work back and ask where it went sideways.
Because the sidebar keeps the whole thread, you can scroll back to how you solved a similar integral last week, and bookmarks save the derivations you want to reread before an exam. A model picker at the top lets you start on a fast model for arithmetic-heavy steps, then switch to Claude Sonnet 5 mid-thread when a proof needs more careful reasoning. For the full tour of both surfaces, read how Lensia works.
Turn on reasoning mode for multi-step problems
Reasoning mode is a single on/off toggle that tells the model to slow down and check its own work before it answers. There are no Low, Medium, or High levels; it is on or off. Leave it off for a quick derivative or a definition. Turn it on for the problems where one early slip wrecks everything after it: multi-step derivations, related rates, long unit conversions, statistics, and anything with a proof. On a paid tier you also get the Advanced models (GPT-5.4, GPT-5.5, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Claude Sonnet 5, Claude Opus 4.8), which are the ones you want for a genuinely nasty problem.
The floating panel: a fast read on one equation
Not every question needs a chat. Sometimes you are reading a worked example and one line does not add up. Press Ctrl+Shift+X, drag a box around the equation, and a step-by-step explanation floats up on top of the page in a few seconds. Your homework stays visible underneath, and the panel is draggable so you can park it beside the problem. It is on every plan.
Two things make the panel pull its weight on a problem set:
- Ask Mode is a switch on the same panel that turns it into a typing box. Write the problem in your own words, or attach up to three images to compare two graphs or hand in a photo of your own handwritten work for a check.
- Quick Capture (
Ctrl+Shift+F) repeats the last capture area without redrawing the box, so a page of similar problems takes one keypress each.
If your homework has handwriting, a scanned worksheet, or an equation saved as an image, the panel switches to image mode on its own and reads the picture directly. Press Ctrl+Shift+E to hide the panel and bring it back with the same keys.
Handling the platforms your math lives on
Most college math runs through a homework system, and both surfaces read straight off the screen, so nothing needs a special connection. Work through problem sets on WileyPLUS and Pearson MyLab, or capture a question from a PDF, a slide, or a practice site. Include the whole problem in your capture or your message: the numbers, the formula, the units, and any constraints. Leave one out and the answer changes.
Every kind of math problem
- Algebra and precalculus: the AI shows each move, factoring, isolating a variable, applying an identity, and says why.
- Calculus: it walks derivatives and integrals term by term, names the rule used, and keeps the notation clean.
- Statistics: it shows the formula, plugs in your values, and explains what the result means, not just the number.
- Word problems: it translates the sentence into the equation first, which is usually the step people miss. See AI for multiple-choice practice for the same approach on test-style questions.
Which plan for math
Free covers the starter usage allowance, the sidebar chat, the floating panel with Ask Mode, and the Lensia Max router, which picks a fitting model per question and takes 15 percent off the cost. Basic adds about ten times the usage plus reasoning mode, the Advanced models, and custom instructions, which is the plan most math students want because reasoning mode carries the hard derivations. Pro has the highest allowance and adds agent mode in the sidebar. For a subject-by-subject rundown, read the AI homework helper complete guide.
Start your next problem set with Lensia
Install Lensia from the Chrome Web Store, sign in with Google to activate, and open the sidebar next to your problem set. Attempt each problem first, then use the chat to check your steps and ask why the method works. Install Lensia today and stop settling for answers with no working shown.