Mathematics and science questions, the forever problems for every generation from the past, present, and future.
Google is the tech giant of the web, known for its search engine product. As one of the most visited places on the web, Google Search has been able to help with homework for quite some time now, while its Lens feature, allows users to upload photos to the search engine to be processed by AI.
This time, the search engine is getting smarter.
A lot smarter that is, because Google has updated both Search and lens to be better at trigonometry, calculus, geometry, and physics.
Google said that Search now provides more help on "subjects like trigonometry and calculus."
In the update, Google can how show "a step-by-step explanation and solution will appear after you enter an equation or integral into the Search bar, or take a picture of the problem using Lens."
In a blog post, Google said that:
To use this handy helper, users can simply type in their question to Google Search, or take a photo with Google Lens.
Or, users can also type in "math solver."
Meanwhile, for geometry, Google Lens can now “interpret both the visual and the text components” of triangle problems. Taking a picture is a more natural alternative to creating a “written query that describes your visual problem.”
Google is also leveraging large language models (LLMs) to make Google Search better in answering word problems related to physics.
To do this, Google Search incorporated Pathways Language Model (PaLM) into Bard for improved math and enhanced logic capabilities.
This makes it possible for Google Search to answer to users' queries in multi-step word, thus allowing it to solve math problems by showing how it's done, step-by-step.
Beyond math and physics problems, users can also use Google to solve geometry problems.
"Say you are tasked with finding the area of a triangle, and all you are given is a diagram of the triangle as well as measurements of two of the sides. Without being able to take a picture of the problem, it’s hard to put into words what you need help with," said Google.
"Now, instead of trying to come up with a written query that describes your visual problem, you can use Lens on certain triangle problems, to interpret both the visual and the text components of the problem, and generate a step-by-step explanation of how to solve it."
And lastly, Google is also able to visually explore STEM concepts
STEM, short for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, is can difficult to solve and explain. But using AI that utilizes deep visual understanding, Google that trained the technology using STEM-related topics is able to "master the subject as a whole."
"For example, you might have a general understanding of mitochondria but aren’t quite able to picture the inner folds that create the cristae or the matrix within the inner membrane," explained Google.
"With 3D models on Search you will be able to explore interactive diagrams containing definitions and overviews for almost 1,000 biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy and related topics."