Which model is better for advanced math problems like AIME-style questions?

DeepSeek V3.2 significantly outperforms on competition-level math, achieving 93.1% on AIME 2025, while Grok's advanced math performance isn't formally benchmarked on this metric. Both perform comparably on general math benchmarks (MMLU Pro: Grok 85.4% vs DeepSeek 85.0%; GPQA Diamond: Grok 85.3% vs DeepSeek 82.4%), but DeepSeek's AIME dominance makes it the stronger choice for challenging problem-solving.

Which is more affordable for heavy math problem solving?

DeepSeek is significantly cheaper long-term with a generous free tier and pay-as-you-go pricing ($0.56/$1.68 per 1M tokens), while Grok requires paid subscriptions ($8–$16/month via X Premium) or higher API costs ($0.20/$0.50 per 1M tokens). For students and regular users, DeepSeek's free tier provides unlimited access to capable math reasoning without any cost.

Does Grok's real-time information help with math problems?

For pure mathematical problem-solving and theorem verification, real-time data is rarely necessary since math principles don't change. Grok's web search could be useful for looking up obscure formulas, current research in applied math, or historical context, but DeepSeek's focused reasoning capabilities typically provide faster answers for standard math questions.

Which extended thinking mode is better for complex math: Grok or DeepSeek R1?

Both offer extended thinking (Grok's built-in feature and DeepSeek R1), which helps tackle multi-step problems through deeper reasoning. DeepSeek R1 has demonstrated superior math performance (93.1% on AIME), suggesting its reasoning approach may be better optimized for mathematical problems, while Grok's extended thinking is valuable but hasn't been specifically benchmarked on competition math.

Compare Grok vs DeepSeek

Grok vs DeepSeek for Math

DeepSeek edges out Grok for pure mathematics, with a commanding 93.1% on AIME 2025 compared to Grok's lack of a public score, and stronger performance on Humanity's Last Exam (25.1% vs 17.6%). Both models are competitive on general reasoning (MMLU Pro within 0.4%), but DeepSeek's open-source availability and significantly lower cost make it the practical choice for math work. Grok's web search capability is useful for finding mathematical references, but DeepSeek's specialized R1 reasoning mode gives it the edge for solving complex mathematical problems.

Head-to-Head for Math

Criteria	Grok	DeepSeek	Winner
Math competition performance (AIME 2025)	No benchmark data	Excellent (93.1%)	DeepSeek
Advanced math reasoning (GPQA Diamond)	Very strong (85.3%)	Strong (82.4%)	Grok
General math knowledge (MMLU Pro)	Very strong (85.4%)	Very strong (85.0%)	Tie
Specialized reasoning mode	Extended thinking	Dedicated R1 mode	DeepSeek
Real-time math problem context	Web search integration	Limited to static knowledge	Grok

Math competition performance (AIME 2025)

DeepSeek

Grok

No benchmark data

DeepSeek

Excellent (93.1%)

Advanced math reasoning (GPQA Diamond)

Grok

Very strong (85.3%)

DeepSeek

Strong (82.4%)

General math knowledge (MMLU Pro)

Tie

Grok

Very strong (85.4%)

DeepSeek

Very strong (85.0%)

Specialized reasoning mode

DeepSeek

Grok

Extended thinking

DeepSeek

Dedicated R1 mode

Real-time math problem context

Grok

Web search integration

DeepSeek

Limited to static knowledge

See Them Answer a Math Question

We asked both models the same math-focused prompt.

“Solve the integral ∫(x²·eˣ)dx step by step, then verify your answer by differentiating the result.”

Grok 4.1 Fast

Solve the integral \int(x²\cdoteˣ)dx step by step, then verify your answer by differentiating the result.

Step-by-Step Solution to ∫ x² e^x dx

This is an indefinite integral requiring integration by parts (the tabular method or repeated application works well for polynomial-exponential products). The formula is:

∫ u dv = u v − ∫ v du

Step 1: First Application

Let u = x² (decreases polynomial degree), dv = e^x dx.
Then du = 2x dx, v = e^x.

∫ x² e^x dx = x² e^x − ∫ e^x ⋅ 2x dx
= x² e^x − 2 ∫ x e^x dx.

Step 2: Second Application (on ∫ x e^x dx)

Let u = x, dv = e^x dx.
Then du = dx, v = e^x.

∫ x e^x dx = x e^x − ∫ e^x ⋅ dx
= x e^x − e^x.

Step 3: Substitute Back

∫ x² e^x dx = x² e^x − 2(x e^x − e^x) + C
= x² e^x − 2x e^x + 2 e^x + C.

Equivalent factored form: e^x (x² − 2x + 2) + C.

Verification by Differentiation

Differentiate y = e^x (x² − 2x + 2) using the product rule (d/dx [f g] = f' g + f g'):

Let f = e^x (f' = e^x), g = x² − 2x + 2 (g' = 2x − 2).
dy/dx = e^x (x² − 2x + 2) + e^x (2x − 2)
= e^x [(x² − 2x + 2) + (2x − 2)]
= e^x [x² − 2x + 2 + 2x − 2]
= e^x x².

This matches the integrand ∫ x² e^x dx exactly. The constant C differentiates to 0.

DeepSeek V3.2

Solve the integral \int(x²\cdoteˣ)dx step by step, then verify your answer by differentiating the result.

Alright — let's solve it step-by-step and verify.

We want to evaluate:

$I = \int x^2 e^x \, dx$

1. Integration by parts

We use the formula $\int u \, dv = uv - \int v \, du$ .

Let’s set
$u = x^2, \quad dv = e^x \, dx$
Then
$du = 2x \, dx, \quad v = e^x$

So: $\int x^2 e^x \, dx = x^2 e^x - \int e^x \cdot 2x \, dx$ $= x^2 e^x - 2 \int x e^x \, dx$

2. Integrate $\int x e^x \, dx$ (again by parts)

Let $u = x, \, dv = e^x dx$
$du = dx, \; v = e^x$

$\int x e^x \, dx = x e^x - \int e^x \, dx$ $= x e^x - e^x + C_1$

3. Substitute back into $I$

$I = x^2 e^x - 2\big[ x e^x - e^x \big] + C$ $= x^2 e^x - 2x e^x + 2 e^x + C$

Factor $e^x$ :

$I = e^x \left( x^2 - 2x + 2 \right) + C$

So the final answer is: $\boxed{e^x \left( x^2 - 2x + 2 \right) + C}$

4. Verification by differentiation

Let $F(x) = e^x (x^2 - 2x + 2)$ .

Use product rule:
$F'(x) = e^x (x^2 - 2x + 2) + e^x (2x - 2)$ $= e^x \left[ x^2 - 2x + 2 + 2x - 2 \right]$ $= e^x \left[ x^2 \right]$ $= x^2 e^x$

Perfect — matches the integrand.

Final check: The antiderivative $e^x(x^2 - 2x + 2) + C$ is correct.

Grok 4.1 Fast

Solve the integral \int(x²\cdoteˣ)dx step by step, then verify your answer by differentiating the result.

Step-by-Step Solution to ∫ x² e^x dx

This is an indefinite integral requiring integration by parts (the tabular method or repeated application works well for polynomial-exponential products). The formula is:

∫ u dv = u v − ∫ v du

Step 1: First Application

Let u = x² (decreases polynomial degree), dv = e^x dx.
Then du = 2x dx, v = e^x.

∫ x² e^x dx = x² e^x − ∫ e^x ⋅ 2x dx
= x² e^x − 2 ∫ x e^x dx.

Step 2: Second Application (on ∫ x e^x dx)

Let u = x, dv = e^x dx.
Then du = dx, v = e^x.

∫ x e^x dx = x e^x − ∫ e^x ⋅ dx
= x e^x − e^x.

Step 3: Substitute Back

∫ x² e^x dx = x² e^x − 2(x e^x − e^x) + C
= x² e^x − 2x e^x + 2 e^x + C.

Equivalent factored form: e^x (x² − 2x + 2) + C.

Verification by Differentiation

Differentiate y = e^x (x² − 2x + 2) using the product rule (d/dx [f g] = f' g + f g'):

Let f = e^x (f' = e^x), g = x² − 2x + 2 (g' = 2x − 2).
dy/dx = e^x (x² − 2x + 2) + e^x (2x − 2)
= e^x [(x² − 2x + 2) + (2x − 2)]
= e^x [x² − 2x + 2 + 2x − 2]
= e^x x².

This matches the integrand ∫ x² e^x dx exactly. The constant C differentiates to 0.

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Detailed Breakdown

Both Grok and DeepSeek are genuinely strong contenders for math tasks, but they serve different audiences and use cases in meaningful ways.

Grok, built by xAI, has consistently marketed itself as a reasoning-first model with strong math and science capabilities. Its GPQA Diamond score of 85.3% and MMLU Pro score of 85.4% reflect solid performance across graduate-level science and multi-domain reasoning — both of which lean heavily on mathematical thinking. Grok also supports extended thinking (chain-of-thought reasoning), which helps it break down complex multi-step problems systematically. For users already on X Premium, it's essentially bundled in at $8/month, making it an accessible option for students or professionals who need reliable math assistance without committing to a separate subscription.

DeepSeek, however, puts up numbers that are harder to ignore for serious math work. Its AIME 2025 score of 93.1% is particularly striking — the AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination) is a rigorous competition math benchmark that tests problem-solving depth, not just recall. DeepSeek also scores 25.1% on Humanity's Last Exam compared to Grok's 17.6%, suggesting it handles more extreme reasoning challenges more reliably. The dedicated DeepSeek R1 model further specializes in extended reasoning chains, making it especially well-suited for complex proofs, multi-step calculus problems, or olympiad-style questions.

In practical terms, if you're a student working through calculus homework, checking linear algebra proofs, or practicing for standardized tests like the SAT or GRE math sections, both models will serve you well. Grok's real-time web search gives it a useful edge when you need to look up formulas, reference theorems, or cross-check mathematical definitions on the fly — something DeepSeek can't do natively. For a high school student or casual learner, Grok's accessibility and personality make it approachable.

For researchers, engineers, or competitive math practitioners dealing with differential equations, number theory, or formal proofs, DeepSeek's raw reasoning performance pulls ahead. Its open-source nature also means it can be self-hosted or integrated into research pipelines, which matters for institutions or developers building math-heavy tooling.

One caveat: DeepSeek is hosted primarily in China, which raises data privacy questions for some enterprise or academic users. Grok, hosted by xAI, sidesteps that concern.

Recommendation: For serious mathematical work — competition math, advanced coursework, or research — DeepSeek (especially R1) is the stronger choice based on benchmark evidence. For everyday math assistance with the added bonus of web search and lower friction, Grok is a practical and capable alternative.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Grok vs DeepSeek for Math

Head-to-Head for Math

Math competition performance (AIME 2025)

Advanced math reasoning (GPQA Diamond)

General math knowledge (MMLU Pro)

Specialized reasoning mode

Real-time math problem context

See Them Answer a Math Question

Step-by-Step Solution to ∫ x² e^x dx

Step 1: First Application

Step 2: Second Application (on ∫ x e^x dx)

Step 3: Substitute Back

Verification by Differentiation

1. Integration by parts

2. Integrate $\int x e^x \, dx$ (again by parts)

3. Substitute back into $I$

4. Verification by differentiation

Step-by-Step Solution to ∫ x² e^x dx

Step 1: First Application

Step 2: Second Application (on ∫ x e^x dx)

Step 3: Substitute Back

Verification by Differentiation

Detailed Breakdown

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Topics for Grok vs DeepSeek

Math Comparisons for Other Models

Head-to-Head for Math

Math competition performance (AIME 2025)

Advanced math reasoning (GPQA Diamond)

General math knowledge (MMLU Pro)

Specialized reasoning mode

Real-time math problem context

See Them Answer a Math Question

Step-by-Step Solution to ∫ x² e^x dx

Step 1: First Application

Step 2: Second Application (on ∫ x e^x dx)

Step 3: Substitute Back

Verification by Differentiation

1. Integration by parts

2. Integrate ∫xex dx\int x e^x \, dx∫xexdx (again by parts)

3. Substitute back into III

4. Verification by differentiation

Step-by-Step Solution to ∫ x² e^x dx

Step 1: First Application

Step 2: Second Application (on ∫ x e^x dx)

Step 3: Substitute Back

Verification by Differentiation

Detailed Breakdown

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Topics for Grok vs DeepSeek

Math Comparisons for Other Models

2. Integrate $\int x e^x \, dx$ (again by parts)

3. Substitute back into $I$