Show HN: The Little Book of Maths for LLMs-The maths you need to understand LLMs

little-book-of.github.io

LLMsMathematicsAI Education

Discussion (7 comments)

Showing 7 comments

leakycap

3 months ago

1 reply

Math being one of my least favorite subjects, I assumed I'd be bored or it would be over my head.

Instead, I'm half way into chapter 3 -- will be sharing! Thank you for this great work!

scapbi

3 months ago

Thanks for your kind words! Most math textbooks are packed with formulas and abstract stuff, so I tried to do something different, make it fun while still getting the ideas across. Hope you like it!

jrussino

3 months ago

1 reply

I stumbled into this "tales" section:

https://little-book-of.github.io/maths/books/en-US/tales.htm...

I started reading it to my elementary-aged kids as a bedtime story! We're only on part 7/100, and I suspect we'll be too deep for them before long, but at least or now they're really enjoying it.

tamnd

3 months ago

1 reply

Behind each "tale" lies a mathematical idea: from counting numbers and odd and even numbers, to geometry with lines and circles, to group theory, waves, frequencies, etc.

Behind the story words, here are the branches of mathematics explored in each chapter: 1/ Numbers, 2/ Geometry, 3/ Pre-Algebra, 4/ Calculus and Analysis, 5/ Algebra, 6/ Probability, 7/ Logic, 8/ Complex Numbers and Higher Dimensions 9/ Mathematical Applications to Physics, 10/ Further Applications, including AI/Machine Learning, Music, and more.

Along with the tales, I am planning to write about the underlying ideas for each one in much greater detail.

tamnd

3 months ago

1 reply

@jrussino Would you like EPUB or PDF versions of just the tale? I can prepare them for you.

jrussino

3 months ago

I've been reading them on my phone; the web interface is OK, but if you had an EPUB I would certainly prefer that. Thanks!

tamnd

3 months ago

This is a book about how numbers learn to speak. Inside, you'll find the gentle mathematics that powers every large language model, from simple counting and geometry to probability, calculus, and information theory. No dense proofs. No jargon. Just intuition, clarity, and connection. If you've ever wondered how equations become understanding, how vectors turn into words, and how meaning takes shape in a sea of numbers, this book will show you, one small idea at a time.

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