Math from the Ground Up
Bridge the gap between watching math explanations and solving problems on your own. Master the core mechanics of arithmetic, fractions, exponents, and basic formulas with confidence.
Like Duolingo, but for Math from the Ground Up. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Fast Calculation and Number Sense and Powers, Roots, and Algebraic Equations. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Math from the Ground Up
- Multiplication represents repeated equal groups, so 8 groups of 6 and 6 groups of 8 total the same amount
- The order of factors does not change the product (commutative property)
- Recognizing that pairs like 6 × 8 and 8 × 6 are identical cuts the number of unique multiplication facts to memorize nearly in half
- Harder numbers like 12 can be broken into friendlier components like 10 and 2
- Multiplying each component separately (10 × 7 and 2 × 7) and summing the results yields the total product
- Breaking calculations into tens and ones avoids the need for pencil-and-paper carryover
- Multiplying by 4 is equivalent to doubling twice because 2 × 2 = 4
- Multiplying by 5 is equivalent to half of 10
- Multiplying by 9 is one group less than multiplying by 10
- Multiplying by 8 is three successive doublings (2 × 2 × 2 = 8)
- Division is the inverse of multiplication, asking for the missing factor
- Reframing '72 ÷ 8 = ?' as '? × 8 = 72' allows direct recall from multiplication tables
- Inverse thinking lets one set of known facts solve both forward and backward arithmetic
- Rounding numbers to the nearest friendly benchmark (like 49 to 50) provides an instant rough estimate
- Since 50 × 6 = 300, 49 × 6 must be 6 less than 300 (294)
- Estimating the ballpark first protects against wild miscalculations or misplaced digits
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Math from the Ground Up the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What happens to the product when you swap the order of two factors, like turning 4 × 9 into 9 × 4?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
How to learn Math from the Ground Up, step by step
Go in order. 12 short levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Fast Calculation and Number Sense
- Mental Arithmetic and the Multiplication Core
- Working Fluently with Fractions
- 2
Powers, Roots, and Algebraic Equations
- Exponents and Square Roots as Inverses
- Solving Formulas and Isolating Variables
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Math from the Ground Up
How do I learn Math from the Ground Up?
Go in order: start with Fast Calculation and Number Sense, then Powers, Roots, and Algebraic Equations. On Tomo that's 12 short levels, about 24 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Math from the Ground Up?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Math from the Ground Up is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Math from the Ground Up course free?
Yes. Math from the Ground Up is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Math from the Ground Up?
12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Math from the Ground Up?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Math from the Ground Up is taught in the Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Math from the Ground Up today.
Download Tomo, search Math from the Ground Up, and play your first lesson in under a minute.