Part of Best LLM for Math & Reasoning
Best LLM for Competition Math
Claude Fable 5.1 ranks first for Competition Math as of October 20, 2026.[1][2][3][4][5] It scores 97.01% on LiveBench Mathematics (#2 of 59) and 100% on OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025, placing it among the top performers on objective competition math benchmarks. Claude Opus 5.5 scores within two points, so read the top two as close rather than as a measured gap. Watch out: Watch for research-level math gaps: it solves only 90.2% of FrontierMath tiers 1-3 (#4 of 73), trailing top models on research mathematics. Claude Opus 5.5 is the next-ranked alternative. It leads LiveBench Mathematics at 97.08% (#1 of 59) while matching perfect scores on OTIS Mock AIME, making it the strongest on objective competition benchmarks.
About this recommendation
- Updated
- Evidence through
- Sources
- 22
- Revision
- v108
Decision audit
Why this result
Inspect the inputs and the computed order behind the recommendation.
Models screened
24
live candidates
Evaluation feeds
6
task-weighted
Winner coverage
100%
intended feed weight
Largest provider share
3 of 8
Anthropic
Anthropic: Claude Fable 5.1 leads the measured task comparison with 3 independent evaluation families. Community volume, release age and usage popularity add no ranking points. The leading scores are close under this policy.
Real-world track record is still developing. The recommendation can lead on independent measurements while practitioner reports accumulate.
Sources evaluated
These are the weights used in scoring. Missing measurements are omitted from each model’s average. A feed with no result for any model released in the last 60 days is stale and does not score until it catches up.
| Evaluation feed | Weight | Winner result | Field measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiveBench Mathematics (2026-06-25)Observed 2026-10-18 · evaluation date not supplied · claude-fable-5-1-max-effortfailing; last successful check 2026-10-18 | 26% | #2 | 19/24 |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (Epoch AI)Observed 2026-09-01 · evaluated 2026-09-01 · max effort · standard error 1.80 | 19% | #4 | 19/24 |
| LiveBench Reasoning (2026-06-25)Observed 2026-10-18 · evaluation date not supplied · claude-fable-5-1-max-effortfailing; last successful check 2026-10-18 | 19% | #4 | 19/24 |
| LMArena MathObserved 2026-10-15 · evaluation date not supplied · max effort | 19% | #3 | 23/24 |
| OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI)Observed 2026-09-01 · evaluated 2026-09-01 · max effort · standard error 0.00 | 11% | #1 | 23/24 |
| LMArena Instruction FollowingObserved 2026-10-15 · evaluation date not supplied · max effort | 7% | #5 | 23/24 |
Provider concentration
Each exact model is scored separately; provider identity is not a ranking input.
- Anthropic3 models
- OpenAI3 models
- Google1 model
- Meta1 model
Decision table
Every published model is shown in computed order. Practitioner sources are distinct community threads, not the citations repeated in the prose below.
Anthropic · coverage 100%
#1 OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI) · #2 LiveBench Mathematics
Anthropic · coverage 100% · close score
#1 OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI) · #1 LiveBench Mathematics
Google · coverage 56% · close score
#1 OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI) · #1 LMArena Instruction Following
OpenAI · coverage 100%
#1 FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (Epoch AI) · #1 OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI)
OpenAI · coverage 100%
#1 FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (Epoch AI) · #1 OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI)
Anthropic · coverage 100%
#1 OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI) · #6 LiveBench Reasoning
OpenAI · coverage 100%
#9 LiveBench Reasoning · #10 FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (Epoch AI)
Meta · coverage 100%
#9 LiveBench Mathematics · #12 OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI)
Task score averages the available, task-weighted measurements. Benchmark positions compare models matched to our catalog. Models measured by at least two independent evaluator families are considered first. Missing tests, practitioner report counts, popularity and release age add no points. Coverage describes evidence breadth, not a probability of correctness. Scores within two points are shown as close under this policy; this is not a statistical confidence interval. When the leading scores are that close, the model measured by more evaluator families ranks first.
- 01
Claude Fable 5.1Anthropic · $10 in / $50 out per M tokens · 1M context
Claude Fable 5.1 scores 97.01% on LiveBench Mathematics (#2 of 59) and 100% on OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025, placing it among the top performers on objective competition math benchmarks.
Best when: Use for competition math problems where you need 97.01% accuracy on LiveBench Mathematics tasks, ranking #2 of 59 models tested.More tips
- Deploy for AIME-style competition problems where it achieved 100% on the OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025 set, tied for #1 of 113 models.
- Consider when human preference rankings matter: it places #3 of 148 on LMArena's maths category with Elo 1528.
Watch out for
- Watch for research-level math gaps: it solves only 90.2% of FrontierMath tiers 1-3 (#4 of 73), trailing top models on research mathematics.
- 02
Claude Opus 5.5Anthropic · $4 in / $20 out per M tokens · 1M context
Claude Opus 5.5 leads LiveBench Mathematics at 97.08% (#1 of 59) while matching perfect scores on OTIS Mock AIME, making it the strongest on objective competition benchmarks.
Best when: Prioritize for competition math where LiveBench Mathematics scores matter: 97.08% places it #1 of 59 models.More tips
- Use for AIME-level problems where it scored 100% on OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025, tied for #1 of 113.
- Consider when instruction-following quality affects math workflows: it ranks #1 of 152 on LMArena's instruction-following category with Elo 1536.
Watch out for
- Note the human preference gap in math-specific rankings: it places only #8 of 148 on LMArena's maths category (Elo 1508), below several competitors.
- Watch for research math limitations: 91.2% on FrontierMath tiers 1-3 (#3 of 73) leaves room versus top research-level performers.
- 03
Gemini 4 ArgonGoogle · $2 in / $10 out per M tokens · 1.0M context
Gemini 4 Argon dominates human preference rankings (#1 on LMArena maths with Elo 1536) while matching perfect AIME scores, though it lags on research-level FrontierMath.
Best when: Use when human preference for math output quality matters: it ranks #1 of 148 on LMArena's maths category with Elo 1536.More tips
- Deploy for AIME competition problems where it scored 100% on OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025, tied for #1 of 113.
- Consider for overall text quality needs alongside math: it ranks #1 of 152 on LMArena's overall text arena with Elo 1524.
Watch out for
- Watch for research mathematics gaps: 86% on FrontierMath tiers 1-3 (#10 of 73) trails top performers by significant margin.
- 04
GPT-6.1 SolOpenAI · $2 in / $10 out per M tokens · 1.1M context
GPT-6.1 Sol leads FrontierMath research mathematics at 93.7% (#1 of 73) while scoring 96.83% on LiveBench Mathematics (#3 of 59), though human preference rankings lag significantly.
Best when: Prioritize for research-level mathematics: 93.7% on FrontierMath tiers 1-3 ranks #1 of 73 models.More tips
- Use for competition math where LiveBench scores matter: 96.83% places #3 of 59 on LiveBench Mathematics.
- Deploy for AIME problems where it scored 100% on OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025, tied for #1 of 113.
Watch out for
- Expect lower human preference rankings for math: #34 of 148 on LMArena's maths category (Elo 1470) suggests outputs may feel less natural or helpful to human raters.
- Note instruction-following limitations: #24 of 152 on LMArena's instruction-following category (Elo 1469) may affect complex multi-step math workflows.
- 05
GPT-6 AstraOpenAI · $10 in / $50 out per M tokens · 1.1M context
GPT-6 Astra scores 92.65% on LiveBench Reasoning (#1 of 59), an objective, ground-truth-scored evaluation refreshed with new questions.
Best when: Its strongest result for this task is on LiveBench Reasoning, which measures multi-step reasoning.No practitioner reports are linked yet, so no cautions are listed. Absence of reports is not evidence of reliability.
- 06
Claude Sonnet 5.5Anthropic · $2 in / $10 out per M tokens · 1M context
Claude Sonnet 5.5 scores 100% on the OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025 set in Epoch AI's independent run (#1 of 113), competition mathematics.
Best when: Its strongest result for this task is on OTIS Mock AIME, which measures competition mathematics.No practitioner reports are linked yet, so no cautions are listed. Absence of reports is not evidence of reliability.
- 07
GPT-5.6 TerraOpenAI · $2 in / $12 out per M tokens · 1.1M context
GPT-5.6 Terra scores 90.63% on LiveBench Reasoning (#9 of 59), an objective, ground-truth-scored evaluation refreshed with new questions.
Best when: Its strongest result for this task is on LiveBench Reasoning, which measures multi-step reasoning.No practitioner reports are linked yet, so no cautions are listed. Absence of reports is not evidence of reliability.
- 08
Muse Spark 1.3Meta · $1.25 in / $4.25 out per M tokens · 1.0M context
Muse Spark 1.3 scores 95.95% on LiveBench Mathematics (#9 of 59), using objectively scored competition and olympiad-style tasks.
Best when: Its strongest result for this task is on LiveBench Mathematics, which measures mathematical problem solving.No practitioner reports are linked yet, so no cautions are listed. Absence of reports is not evidence of reliability.
Frequently asked
- What is the best model for Competition Math?
- Claude Fable 5.1 ranks first as of October 20, 2026. Claude Fable 5.1 scores 97.01% on LiveBench Mathematics (#2 of 59) and 100% on OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025, placing it among the top performers on objective competition math benchmarks.[1][2]
- What should I watch out for with Claude Fable 5.1?
- Watch for research-level math gaps: it solves only 90.2% of FrontierMath tiers 1-3 (#4 of 73), trailing top models on research mathematics.[3]
Sources
- 1
“Within the 59 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 97.01% on LiveBench Mathematics (#2 of 59), using objectively scored competition and olympiad-style tasks.”
LiveBench Mathematics · Benchmark · Oct 18, 2026 - 2
“Within the 113 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 100% on the OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025 set in Epoch AI's independent run (#1 of 113), competition mathematics.”
OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI) · Benchmark · Sep 1, 2026 - 3
“Within the 73 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Solves 90.2% of FrontierMath tiers 1 to 3 in Epoch AI's independent run (#4 of 73), research-level mathematics.”
FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (Epoch AI) · Benchmark · Sep 1, 2026 - 4
“Within the 59 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 97.08% on LiveBench Mathematics (#1 of 59), using objectively scored competition and olympiad-style tasks.”
LiveBench Mathematics · Benchmark · Oct 18, 2026 - 5
“Within the 113 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 100% on the OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025 set in Epoch AI's independent run (#1 of 113), competition mathematics.”
OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI) · Benchmark · Sep 22, 2026 - 6
“Within the 148 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Ranks #3 of 148 on LMArena's maths category (Elo 1528), based on blind human preference votes for maths prompts.”
LMArena maths category · Benchmark · Oct 15, 2026 - 7
“Within the 152 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Ranks #1 of 152 on LMArena's instruction-following category (Elo 1536), based on blind human preference votes.”
LMArena instruction-following category · Benchmark · Oct 15, 2026 - 8
“Within the 148 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Ranks #8 of 148 on LMArena's maths category (Elo 1508), based on blind human preference votes for maths prompts.”
LMArena maths category · Benchmark · Oct 15, 2026 - 9
“Within the 73 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Solves 91.2% of FrontierMath tiers 1 to 3 in Epoch AI's independent run (#3 of 73), research-level mathematics.”
FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (Epoch AI) · Benchmark · Sep 22, 2026 - 10
“Within the 148 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Ranks #1 of 148 on LMArena's maths category (Elo 1536), based on blind human preference votes for maths prompts.”
LMArena maths category · Benchmark · Oct 15, 2026 - 11
“Within the 113 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 100% on the OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025 set in Epoch AI's independent run (#1 of 113), competition mathematics.”
OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI) · Benchmark · Oct 13, 2026 - 12
“Within the 152 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Ranks #1 of 152 on LMArena's overall text arena (Elo 1524), based on blind human preference votes.”
LMArena text arena · Benchmark · Oct 15, 2026 - 13
“Within the 73 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Solves 86% of FrontierMath tiers 1 to 3 in Epoch AI's independent run (#10 of 73), research-level mathematics.”
FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (Epoch AI) · Benchmark · Oct 13, 2026 - 14
“Within the 73 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Solves 93.7% of FrontierMath tiers 1 to 3 in Epoch AI's independent run (#1 of 73), research-level mathematics.”
FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (Epoch AI) · Benchmark · Sep 29, 2026 - 15
“Within the 59 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 96.83% on LiveBench Mathematics (#3 of 59), using objectively scored competition and olympiad-style tasks.”
LiveBench Mathematics · Benchmark · Oct 18, 2026 - 16
“Within the 113 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 100% on the OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025 set in Epoch AI's independent run (#1 of 113), competition mathematics.”
OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI) · Benchmark · Sep 29, 2026 - 17
“Within the 148 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Ranks #34 of 148 on LMArena's maths category (Elo 1470), based on blind human preference votes for maths prompts.”
LMArena maths category · Benchmark · Oct 15, 2026 - 18
“Within the 152 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Ranks #24 of 152 on LMArena's instruction-following category (Elo 1469), based on blind human preference votes.”
LMArena instruction-following category · Benchmark · Oct 15, 2026 - 19
“Within the 59 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 92.65% on LiveBench Reasoning (#1 of 59), an objective, ground-truth-scored evaluation refreshed with new questions.”
LiveBench Reasoning · Benchmark · Oct 18, 2026 - 20
“Within the 113 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 100% on the OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025 set in Epoch AI's independent run (#1 of 113), competition mathematics.”
OTIS Mock AIME (Epoch AI) · Benchmark · Sep 29, 2026 - 21
“Within the 59 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 90.63% on LiveBench Reasoning (#9 of 59), an objective, ground-truth-scored evaluation refreshed with new questions.”
LiveBench Reasoning · Benchmark · Oct 18, 2026 - 22
“Within the 59 catalog models matched to this evaluation: Scores 95.95% on LiveBench Mathematics (#9 of 59), using objectively scored competition and olympiad-style tasks.”
LiveBench Mathematics · Benchmark · Oct 18, 2026
Rankings synthesized from community evidence and open benchmarks. See methodology. Not driven by vendor marketing.