Educational Math Software

Question

What is the the most educational software for high school and college math?

Not the one that just gives you the answer, but has any of the following:

Edit: Software mentioned in answer added in brackets

• provides step-by-step solutions [WolframAlpha];
• can verify your step-by-step solution [empty];
• can give you hints [empty];
• can generate problems similar to given one [empty];

or something along those lines.

Answer 1

Maple can give step-by-step solutions as well as give hints on what rule you could apply next.

Answer 2

Wolfram Alpha. Try, for instance "solve x^2-x-1=0" and click "show steps".

Answer 3

There is Microsoft Math. I haven't actually used it, but I know that it can provide step by step solutions. Here's a nice review. Also it's $20.

Answer 4

MathXpert supposedly fits your first 3 criteria (though I have never tried it).

Answer 5

Also, Bagatrix has a suite of math software that shows you individual steps for math problems that it could solve. In my experience though, it is quite limited in what it can actually solve.

Answer 6

Good educational software allows one to explore on one's own and at the same time provides problem solving tools. A very nice example of this, and its free, is: http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

Answer 7

Geogebra at http://www.geogebra.org/cms/ free and multi-level