> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docsa.stemfard.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is Stemfard? Mathematics API for STEM Education

> Learn what the Stemfard API is, what mathematics capabilities it exposes, how the API is structured, and where to go next to start building.

Stemfard is a REST API that gives your application instant access to mathematics computations built for education. Instead of implementing matrix operations, statistical functions, or step-by-step solvers from scratch, you send a POST request and receive structured JSON responses — complete with solution steps, LaTeX output, and learning pathway suggestions. Stemfard is designed for developers building educational platforms, tutoring tools, homework helpers, and any STEM application that needs reliable, explainable math.

## What Stemfard does

The Stemfard API processes mathematics operations server-side and returns results in the format your application needs. Every endpoint accepts a standard set of request parameters that let you control how much detail the response includes — from a bare numeric result to a full step-by-step walkthrough with background theory in HTML, LaTeX, or natural-language speech format.

<Info>
  Stemfard is designed to be embedded in your product. Your users see the results; the API handles the computation and explanation.
</Info>

## Key capabilities

Stemfard currently covers linear algebra with a comprehensive set of matrix operations, and the library continues to grow.

* **Matrix arithmetic** — Addition, subtraction, element-wise multiplication, division, power, and full matrix multiplication
* **Matrix dimensions** — Query the number of rows, columns, or the full shape of any matrix
* **Matrix statistics** — Compute min, max, sum, mean, median, variance, and standard deviation across rows, columns, or an entire matrix
* **Step-by-step solutions** — Every endpoint can return a detailed solution trace in HTML, LaTeX, or speech format, controlled by the `steps_output_formats` parameter
* **Learning pathways** — Set `learning_pathways: true` to receive a list of related educational endpoints alongside the result, supporting deeper exploration
* **Response verbosity** — The `api_level` parameter (`"lite"`, `"standard"`, or `"detailed"`) lets you tune how much information each response contains

<Tip>
  Use `api_level: "lite"` in production for fast, minimal responses. Switch to `"detailed"` in educational contexts where step-by-step explanations add value for students.
</Tip>

## How the API is organized

Stemfard follows REST conventions. All requests and responses use JSON. There is a single versioned path prefix for all mathematics endpoints.

| Property        | Value                      |
| --------------- | -------------------------- |
| Base URL        | `https://api.stemfard.com` |
| API version     | `v1`                       |
| Protocol        | HTTPS                      |
| Request format  | JSON body (POST)           |
| Response format | JSON                       |

All mathematics endpoints sit under `/api/v1/mathematics/`. For example, matrix operation endpoints are at `/api/v1/mathematics/linear-algebra/matrix-operations/`.

Two public endpoints require no authentication:

* `GET /` — Returns general API information
* `GET /health` — Returns the current health status of the API

<Note>
  All mathematics endpoints require authentication. See [Authenticate requests](/authentication) for details on passing your API key.
</Note>

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Make your first API call in minutes and see a real matrix operation response.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API reference" icon="code" href="/api-reference/overview">
    Browse every endpoint with full request parameters and response schemas.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>