For students and educators, OneNote is more than just a notebook. It is a smart tutor.
One of its most powerful (and underused) features is the Math Assistant. It can take your handwritten scribbles, convert them into professional mathematical notation, and even solve the equation for you, showing the steps.
The Magic of Ink-to-Math
Typing equations is hard. Finding the square root symbol or the integral sign in a keyboard menu breaks your flow.
With OneNote, you just write naturally.
- Open OneNote (Windows 10 App or Web version).
- Go to the Draw tab.
- Select a pen and write your equation on the screen (e.g.,
x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0). - Use the Lasso Select tool to circle your equation.
- Click the Math button in the ribbon.
The Math Pane
A pane will open on the right side of the screen.
* Fix It: If OneNote misread your messy handwriting, you can correct it here.
* Ink to Math: Click this button to convert your handwriting into clean, typed text on the page.
But the real power is in the drop-down menu below the equation.
Solving and Graphing
Select an action from the drop-down:
* Solve for x: OneNote will instantly display the answer (x=-2, x=-3).
* Show Steps: This is the game-changer. You can choose to see the steps using Factoring, the Quadratic Formula, or Completing the Square. It explains how it got the answer.
* Graph in 2D: It will plot the equation on a graph. You can zoom, pan, and inspect key points (like intercepts and minima). Click Insert on Page to put the live graph into your notes.
Practice Quiz
Once you’ve solved a problem, the Math Assistant can Generate a Practice Quiz.
It uses Microsoft Forms technology to create a 5-10 question quiz with similar problems to the one you just solved, embedding it directly onto your OneNote page.
Whether you are a student studying for calculus or a teacher creating lesson plans, the Math Assistant turns your tablet into a computational engine.