Claude Haiku 4.5 vs R1 0528 for Math

What Math demands: precise multi-step reasoning, exact symbolic and numeric computation, strict structured output for proofs or solutions, and the ability to hold long derivations in context. The external MATH Level 5 score (Epoch AI) is the primary measure for this task in our data — it evaluates contest-style, high-difficulty problems. R1 0528’s 96.6% on MATH Level 5 (Epoch AI) is therefore the main evidence of superior Math capability. Supporting internal metrics: R1 0528 scores 5/5 on tool_calling (accurate function selection/arguments), 5/5 on long_context (retrieval at 30K+ tokens), and 5/5 faithfulness (sticks to source), with structured_output 4/5 and constrained_rewriting 4/5; these traits explain why it succeeds on hard, structured math problems. Claude Haiku 4.5 lacks an external MATH Level 5 entry in our payload, but internally it scores 5/5 on strategic_analysis, 5/5 on tool_calling, 5/5 faithfulness and long_context — indicators it can handle nuanced tradeoffs and long derivations, though we do not have external contest confirmation.

R1 0528 (96.6% on MATH Level 5, Epoch AI): - Solving contest-style multi-step problems under strict answer formats (e.g., AIME-style numeric answers) — external score shows high reliability. - Long, multi-part derivations where maintaining intermediate variables and returning exact numeric results matters — long_context 5 and faithfulness 5 support this. - Structured solutions with JSON or LaTeX-like output where format compliance is important — structured_output 4 helps ensure adherence. Claude Haiku 4.5 (no external MATH Level 5 score in our data): - Nuanced tradeoff and reasoning tasks that require strategic analysis of methods (strategic_analysis 5) — useful for choosing solution approaches. - Interactive tutoring sessions with long contexts and stepwise explanations (long_context 5, tool_calling 5, faithfulness 5). - Rapid iteration where concise reformulation and tool use are needed; however, lack of external MATH Level 5 verification means contest-grade performance is unconfirmed in our data. Concrete score-grounded contrasts: R1 0528’s external 96.6% on MATH Level 5 is the decisive advantage for competition math. Internally both models tie at 5/5 for tool_calling, long_context, and faithfulness, but Claude leads on strategic_analysis (5 vs R1’s 4), which favors method selection over contest answer accuracy.

For Math, choose Claude Haiku 4.5 if you need a model that excels at strategic analysis, long-context interactive explanation, and fast iteration (high internal scores in strategic_analysis, tool_calling, faithfulness). Choose R1 0528 if you need competition-grade, verified problem solving — R1 scores 96.6% on MATH Level 5 (Epoch AI) and ranks 5th among 52 models for Math in our data.