The Robinhood CEO Has a New App. And It Wants to Solve Your Math Problems.

An AI math tutor in your pocket? Here’s why this caught my eye.

I still have a tiny bit of PTSD from high school math.

I remember staring at a page of symbols, feeling my brain just… shut down. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it; it was that I didn’t know where to start. The bridge from “problem” to “understanding” felt a mile long.

So when I saw that Vlad Tenev—the guy behind Robinhood—just launched an AI math app, I was genuinely curious.

It’s called Harmonic. And the idea is pretty simple: it’s an AI chatbot that helps you with math.

So, What Exactly Is Harmonic?

You open the app, type in a math problem, and it gives you a solution.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. “Isn’t that just… a calculator?”

Not quite. The interesting part isn’t getting the answer. It’s how you get it. Harmonic is designed to give you a step-by-step breakdown, explaining the logic along the way.

Think of it less like a calculator and more like that super-smart, patient friend who can actually explain why x equals y.

• It can solve algebra, calculus, and other complex problems.
• It shows its work, one step at a time.
• It tries to explain the concepts in plain English.

The goal isn’t just to get you the right answer for your homework. It’s to help you build that bridge from confused to confident.

Why This Feels… Different

Let’s be honest, AI helpers aren’t new. But the person behind this is what makes it interesting.

Vlad Tenev has a track record of taking an intimidating subject (stock market trading) and making it feel less scary for millions of people with Robinhood. He has a knack for simplifying things that feel hopelessly complex.

He’s a math and physics guy by background, and it feels like he’s trying to do for math what he did for finance: lower the barrier to entry.

Math has an anxiety problem. So many of us decide at some point that we’re just “not a math person.” But maybe we just didn’t have the right tools. Maybe we just needed someone—or something—to explain it in a way that finally clicked.

Will It Just Help People Cheat?

I’m sure some people will use it to just get answers. That’s inevitable with any tool.

But I think the real value is for the people who want to learn but get stuck on that one step that derails their whole process. It’s for the parent trying to help their kid with homework that’s way over their head. Or for the college student who’s too embarrassed to ask a “dumb” question in a lecture hall of 200 people.

For them, this could be a small, private tutor that’s always available. No judgment.

I haven’t used it yet, so I can’t say if it’s actually good. But the idea behind it feels right. It’s not about replacing thinking; it’s about un-sticking it.

And for anyone who’s ever stared at a math problem in total confusion, that’s a pretty compelling idea.