Mathematics is essential for learning AI!
Studying mathematics is inevitable when studying machine learning. Here, I will explain why you need to know mathematics.
Why we need mathematics in AI
In conclusion, mathematics is necessary because understanding of “the mechanism of AI, that is, how AI learns, predicts, and evaluates” will progress at once.
The AI mechanism uses knowledge from various fields of mathematical science, such as statistics, machine learning , and computer science. Mathematics is an indispensable common language in any field.
Therefore, it can be said that knowledge of mathematics is essential if you want to properly understand AI from the mechanism part.
there are exceptions
The programming language Python, which is often used for AI learning, has many useful libraries. By using these functions, you can create high-performance prediction models and image recognition models without understanding the contents of the library.
Therefore, it is not necessary to understand the mechanism of AI, and learning mathematics is not essential for those who only use AI as a tool.
However, knowledge of mathematics is essential when considering questions such as “Why did this result come about?” for AI learning results.
Three areas of mathematics closely related to AI learning
Here are three areas of mathematics that are relevant to understanding AI.
probability statistics
By using probability, concepts such as the distribution of data to be handled, the validity of predictions, and the accuracy can be mathematically expressed.
Statistics deals with various statistical information about a population. In addition, they can be used to refine the data and identify outliers in each data.
linear algebra
AI handles a large number of calculation formulas. And linear algebra is indispensable in order to express the calculation formula in an easy-to-understand manner.
Linear algebra makes it possible to easily express a large number of calculation formulas, making it possible to efficiently learn a large amount of knowledge.
Calculus (analysis)
Calculus is commonly used to express the “slope” of a function.
In the AI field, “slope” refers to “error”. “Error” is the difference between the correct value and the predicted value when making a prediction.
In order to aim for more accurate AI, it is necessary to bring this “error” closer to 0. To calculate the “error”, calculus is essential.
3 steps to master the mathematics necessary for AI
So what are the steps in learning mathematics? This chapter introduces the fields and steps of mathematics required for AI learning.
1. Basic mathematics for middle school and high school
It is not necessary for everyone to re-study from the basic mathematics of junior high school and high school.
Certainly, basic knowledge of mathematics is necessary to understand mathematics at the university 1st and 2nd year level. However, most online courses, books, etc., which will be described later, start with content like a review of junior high and high school mathematics.
For those who are not confident in mathematics or who stumbled while studying, we recommend reviewing from junior high school and high school textbooks.
2. 1st and 2nd year college mathematics
At a science university, first and second year students study linear algebra and calculus as general education subjects .
By mastering the basics of these liberal arts subjects and mastering the basics of probability and statistics in addition to them, it is possible to understand the basic mechanism of AI.
In other words, these fields can be said to be the main mathematics necessary for AI.
3. advanced mathematics
By learning more advanced mathematics, it becomes possible to have a deeper understanding. Examples include Bayesian estimation, gradient descent, and Lagrange’s method of undetermined multipliers.
In addition, even if we say AI in a nutshell, there are various fields within AI ( natural language processing , image recognition , etc.). The knowledge you need depends on which field you are studying.
We recommend that you learn the necessary mathematics each time.
3 ways to learn math
Here are some of the best ways to study mathematics. Find a study method that works for you and stick to it.
1. learn from books
The first method is to learn from books.
This method is recommended for those who can read the book on their own. Books are also rich in information.
If you want to learn mathematics more deeply and carefully, or if you want to learn the essence, learning from books may be suitable.
Below are four recommended books.
1. Mathematics book for artificial intelligence programming
This is a book where you can learn the mathematics necessary for AI from the basics. Recommended as an introductory book for those who are resistant to mathematics.
2. Mathematics of Deep Learning in the Shortest Course
This is also a great book to learn from the basics.
Also, since the code written from scratch using mathematics is provided in “Jupyter Notebook format”, you can learn while actually moving.
It is also recommended for those who are interested in implementation.
3. Deep Learning from Scratch ―Theory and Implementation of Deep Learning in Python
Difficulty☆☆
The knowledge of AI mathematics, which is more complicated than the above two books, is explained simply. Recommended for those who understand basic mathematics.
Four. Machine Learning with Bayesian Inference (Introduction)
This is a book where you can deeply learn the probability statistics necessary for AI.
Recommended for those who understand the above-mentioned mathematics books and want to study more.
2. learn online
The second method is to study online.
This method is recommended for those who find it difficult to learn from books alone and want to use their time efficiently.
There are also online courses where you can take lectures by famous instructors and ask questions. Here are three of our favorite online courses.
1. Udemy
Udemy is an online learning platform with over 100,000 courses. Once you purchase a course, you can study at your own pace with no study deadlines.
Here are some of my favorite Udemy courses:
| [Kikagaku Style] Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Leaving the Black Box Course – Beginners –[Kikagaku Style] Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Leaving the Black Box Course – Intermediate Edition –Mathematics Course for AI: Linear Algebra/Probability/Statistics/Differentiation for Artificial Intelligence |
In this course, you can learn mathematics along with AI knowledge and terminology. You will be able to understand the principles of machine learning from mathematics and implement them in programming ( Python ).
Mathematics course for AI: Learn slowly and carefully linear algebra/probability/statistics/differentiation for artificial intelligence . is clearly explained through
Besides, Udemy has a lot of courses, so you should be able to find a course that is perfect for you.
2. Chainer
A free online learning service that teaches everything from the basics of mathematics to deep learning.
Chainer has
- differential
- linear algebra
- Probability/Statistics
- Simple regression analysis and multiple regression analysis
There are university mathematics courses such as this, so you can learn the minimum necessary mathematics.
The recommended point is that it is designed to solve the problems that beginners tend to stumble on, ‘What should I learn first?’ and ‘What should I learn next?’
*The development of Chainer has ended, but the content of the mathematics course itself is easy to understand and polite, so it is recommended.
3. AI academy
From the beginning of programming to mathematics and statistics necessary for machine learning, and deep learning,
You can learn a wide range of knowledge from over 300 original texts.
Also, instead of just reading the text, you can proceed with learning in a quiz format, AI finds problems you are not good at, and you can efficiently overcome your weak areas.
After completing the mathematics course necessary for machine learning, you will be at a level where you can read formulas such as books related to machine learning.
3. learn at school
The third method is to learn at school.
This method is recommended for those who have high hurdles to self-study, want to create a learning pace, and want to learn programming consistently.
The following three schools are recommended.
1. AI job boyfriend
AI Job Kare is a school specializing in AI technology where you can systematically learn from experienced active AI engineers and data scientists.
The school has many introductory courses, so even beginners can learn with confidence. There is also support unique to the school, so it is possible to learn without dropping out on the way.
The following courses are recommended for learning mathematics.
| Python + Mathematics Super Introductory CourseMathematics courses necessary for Python + machine learning |
You can choose a course according to your mathematics knowledge level.
AI job boyfriend
2. Skill up AI
Skill Up AI is a learning community where you can learn ultra-practical machine learning skills that can be used immediately after completing the course from data science specialists who are active at the forefront.
All courses can be taken online. You can actively ask questions according to the progress of the lecture in the same chat group as the face-to-face students,
Stay motivated and keep learning.
Among them, by taking the ” Basic Mathematics Course for Machine Learning/Deep Learning ” and ” Applied Mathematics Course for Machine Learning/Deep Learning “, even those who have no prior knowledge of mathematics can understand machine learning. You can grow to a directly connected level.
Since a free trial version is available, we recommend that you try it first to see if it suits you.
Comparing different math learning methods
| books | Online course | school | |
| cost | -¥ 10,000 | Free – tens of thousands of yen | -¥100,000 |
| period | weeks-months | 1 week – several weeks | 1 week – several weeks |
| difficulty | ☆☆☆☆ | ☆☆ | ☆☆ |
| Degree of recommendation | ☆☆ | ☆☆☆☆ | ☆☆ |
How to avoid frustration in learning mathematics
In order not to be frustrated in learning mathematics, the most important thing is to choose a learning method that suits you, make an appropriate plan that is reasonable, and steadily proceed steadily.
Look at your goal, compare it with your current math level, and plan the necessary process!
Summary
This time, I have told you the necessity of mathematics, the reason for it, the necessary knowledge, and recommended study methods.
I hope that this article has helped you understand a little more about mathematics in AI learning and find a study method that suits you.
