Messages can solve simple equations -- like "2+2=" -- by typing them into the text field. The app can also solve equations that use more complex formulas, like the trigonometric functions of sine ...

AI is accelerating a conversation around how math instruction should put more emphasis on using numbers to solve real-world problems.

But what if you could use your smartphone to solve equations by pointing the camera at the problem in your textbook instead of using a graphing calculator? That is the idea behind PhotoMath.