For simple expressions with easily derived canonical forms (eg polynomials and simple rational expressions), is there a way to leverage existing tools to verify that two expressions are equal when those expressions are expressed in programming form (ie, 2x^2+3x+1 and (4x^2+6x+2)/2) in two separate cells of a spreadsheet?
I'm drawn toward Google Sheets and Gapps script because I could leverage java libraries, but this might not be a programming question if there is a simpler approach.
To make the connection to math education more clear, the purpose of this question is to allow a teacher to get math responses in a free response quiz (eg, via google forms), then grade the quiz automatically so much as is possible, largely cutting down on the time required to grade.
This is possible via multiple choice responses, but this format is less accurate for assessing student understanding. This question is in the educator's forum because it's possible that someone has accomplished this task already or by using a different approach. Otherwise, this is a programming question (which is asked in the appropriate forum as well).