A rich narrative explanation of the mathematics that has brought us machine learning and the
ongoing explosion of artificial intelligence Machine learning systems are making
life-altering decisions for us: approving mortgage loans determining whether a tumor is
cancerous or deciding if someone gets bail. They now influence developments and discoveries in
chemistry biology and physics—the study of genomes extrasolar planets even the intricacies
of quantum systems. And all this before large language models such as ChatGPT came on the
scene. We are living through a revolution in machine learning-powered AI that shows no signs
of slowing down. This technology is based on relatively simple mathematical ideas some of
which go back centuries including linear algebra and calculus the stuff of seventeenth- and
eighteenth-century mathematics. It took the birth and advancement of computer science and the
kindling of 1990s computer chips designed for video games to ignite the explosion of AI that we
see today. In this enlightening book Anil Ananthaswamy explains the fundamental math behind
machine learning while suggesting intriguing links between artificial and natural
intelligence. Might the same math underpin them both? As Ananthaswamy resonantly concludes
to make safe and effective use of artificial intelligence we need to understand its profound
capabilities and limitations the clues to which lie in the math that makes machine learning
possible.
