# Wolfram|Alpha Short Answer via Locus x402

> Wolfram|Alpha Short Answer via Locus x402 is a paid API for AI agents from wolframalpha.x402.paywithlocus.com, paid per call via x402, $0.055/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-12).

Submits a natural language query to Wolfram|Alpha and returns a concise computed answer covering math, science, geography, history, nutrition, finance, and more.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://wolframalpha.x402.paywithlocus.com/wolframalpha/short-answer?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.055/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-12
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/wolfram-alpha-short-answer-via-locus-x402-c0ba01f4
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap__KIcnZPrUpMG3XRUpsaTN

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability wolfram-alpha-short-answer-via-locus-x402-c0ba01f4 -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Use Wolfram|Alpha to calculate the distance from Earth to Mars in kilometers, and give me a short answer in metric units.

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need a fast, authoritative computed or factual answer to a structured knowledge query — especially for math, science, unit conversion, or encyclopedic facts — and when a short plaintext answer is sufficient. Prefer it over general web search when precision and computation matter. The x402 micropayment model ($0.055 USDC per call) makes it suitable for on-demand, per-query agent workflows without subscription overhead.

## Known failure modes

- Query too ambiguous or not understood by Wolfram|Alpha — returns empty or null data
- Timeout exceeded if computation takes longer than the specified timeout seconds
- Payment failure if USDC balance is insufficient — request is rejected before processing
- Malformed query string (e.g. empty string) — likely returns an error or empty result
- Network/service downtime on the Locus x402 gateway — connection or 5xx error

## How this service works

Computational knowledge engine — math, science, geography, history, nutrition, finance, and more. Get answers as text, spoken audio, LLM-optimized data, or full structured results.

## Output

Returns a JSON object with a 'data' field containing the short computed answer from Wolfram|Alpha, alongside payment settlement details (amount in USDC), a request ID, and a success flag. The answer is concise and in plain text, optimized for quick consumption by the calling agent.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "i": {
   "type": "string"
  },
  "units": {
   "type": "string"
  },
  "timeout": {
   "type": "number"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "data": {},
  "payment": {
   "scheme": "exact",
   "settledUsdc": "0.001000",
   "authorizedMaxUsdc": "0.001000"
  },
  "request": {
   "id": "00000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000000",
   "statusUrl": "/requests/00000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000000"
  },
  "success": true
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/wolfram-alpha-short-answer-via-locus-x402-c0ba01f4/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from wolframalpha.x402.paywithlocus.com](https://www.zero.xyz/host/wolframalpha.x402.paywithlocus.com/llms.txt)