How to beginner · 3 min read

How to use DeepSeek R1 for math problems

Q: How to use DeepSeek R1 for math problems

Use the deepseek-reasoner model via the OpenAI-compatible API by setting base_url to DeepSeek's endpoint and calling chat.completions.create with math problem prompts. This leverages DeepSeek R1's advanced reasoning capabilities specialized for math and logic tasks.

Quick answer

Use the deepseek-reasoner model via the OpenAI-compatible API by setting base_url to DeepSeek's endpoint and calling chat.completions.create with math problem prompts. This leverages DeepSeek R1's advanced reasoning capabilities specialized for math and logic tasks.

PREREQUISITES

Python 3.8+
DeepSeek API key
pip install openai>=1.0

Setup

Install the openai Python package and set your DeepSeek API key as an environment variable. Use the DeepSeek API base URL to access the deepseek-reasoner model.

bash

pip install openai>=1.0

Step by step

This example shows how to send a math problem prompt to DeepSeek R1 and print the reasoning answer.

python

import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(api_key=os.environ["DEEPSEEK_API_KEY"], base_url="https://api.deepseek.com")

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepseek-reasoner",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Solve the equation: 3x + 5 = 20. What is x?"}]
)

print("Answer:", response.choices[0].message.content)

output

Answer: x = 5

Common variations

Use different math prompts like calculus or probability questions.
Switch to deepseek-chat for general-purpose chat if reasoning is not required.
Implement async calls using asyncio and the OpenAI SDK's async methods.

python

import asyncio
import os
from openai import OpenAI

async def main():
    client = OpenAI(api_key=os.environ["DEEPSEEK_API_KEY"], base_url="https://api.deepseek.com")
    response = await client.chat.completions.acreate(
        model="deepseek-reasoner",
        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Integrate x^2 dx."}]
    )
    print("Answer:", response.choices[0].message.content)

asyncio.run(main())

output

Answer: The integral of x^2 dx is (1/3)x^3 + C

Troubleshooting

If you get authentication errors, verify your DEEPSEEK_API_KEY environment variable is set correctly.
For timeout errors, check your network connection and retry.
If the model returns irrelevant answers, ensure you are using deepseek-reasoner for math reasoning tasks.

✅

Key Takeaways

Use the OpenAI-compatible SDK with base_url="https://api.deepseek.com" to access DeepSeek R1.
The deepseek-reasoner model excels at math and logical reasoning problems.
Always set your API key in os.environ["DEEPSEEK_API_KEY"] for secure authentication.

Verified 2026-04 · deepseek-reasoner, deepseek-chat

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