The world's largest maker of computer operating systems and productivity tools is getting into the curriculum software business, too: Microsoft Corp. has released a math software product, Microsoft Math 3.0, designed to help students complete math and science homework with parental assistance.

Earlier versions of the product were integrated into Microsoft's Student with Encarta Premium software. But Math 3.0 is a standalone product that can be downloaded from Microsoft's web site.

With Math 3.0, Microsoft's software engineers have applied their math expertise to meet what they perceive as a serious need. According to an independent survey commissioned by Microsoft, 77 percent of teachers and 73 percent of parents claim math and science are the most difficult homework subjects for students, while only 36 percent of parents said they felt capable to help their children.

"We really saw that there was a great need for mathematics-focused software," said Ben Kunz, a program manager at Microsoft. "Math really resonated as one of those areas of tremendous need for those tools, not just here in the U.S. but also worldwide."

Kunz said Microsoft education executives noted that as students transition out of typical arithmetic-based math and move up to pre-algebra and algebra--areas with more abstract concepts--they tend to struggle.

Microsoft officials worked with students and teachers while developing the software, and Kunz said parental involvement in math homework influenced the way they designed the product.

"Many parents don't feel comfortable helping students with math. When a student enters a problem [into the software], parents can sit side-by-side with their child while they work through the steps," he said.

Kunz said the tool should help students understand and work through their math problems with a visual approach.

"It's really complementary to knowledge gathered in the classroom and from the teacher," he said. "It reinforces lessons at that crucial moment when [students are] working on a problem and there isn't anyone there to help them through that critical step where they may have done the first five steps correctly, but don't see the answer or the trick to the sixth step."

He added: "We look at it as a tool that allows students to focus on a problem-based approach."

Microsoft Math 3.0 helps students tackle complicated problems in pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, physics, and chemistry. The software is intended to help deepen students' overall understanding of these subjects by invoking a full-featured graphing calculator and step-by-step instructions on how to solve difficult problems.

It also features tools such as a library with more than 100 common math equations and formulas, a triangle application, and a unit-conversion tool.