5 ms·

From the start of Chapter 2: "In the following four chapters, the basic algebraic structures (groups, rings, fields, vectorspaces) are reviewed, wi

From the start of Chapter 2: "In the following four chapters, the basic algebraic structures (groups, rings, fields, vectorspaces) are reviewed, with a major emphasis on vector spaces. Basic notions of linear algebra such as vector spaces, subspaces, linear combinations, linear independence, [...], dual spaces,hyperplanes, transpose of a linear maps, are reviewed." If anyone needs to start even earlier than this, I've actually found "3D Math Basics for Graphics and Game Development" to be a good true intro for linear algebra-related stuff. I think this would probably hold even if your primary interest is something other than graphics/game dev. Some of the text in that book's intro is a little cringey with its reliance on kind of juvenile game references, but I didn't find that sort of writing continuing during the actual text. So just push past that stuff. I got a copy of it to act as a refresher before diving into Real-Time Collision Detection since it's been quite a long time since formal math for me (as in, high school, because I'm self-taught in CS). I've managed to make up a lot of ground by working hard and finding classes to audit online (Strang's linear alg course on OCW is a good one), but I have found that depressingly few math texts which claim to be "introductory" are actually truly introductory. This isn't a slight against the linked work, I absolutely love when profs make resources such as this freely available. "How to Prove It" and "Book of Proof" are also great intros to formal math, if less immediately practical.

hx2a 7y ago
> If anyone needs to start even earlier than this, I've actually found "3D Math Basics for Graphics and Game Development" to be a good true intro for linear algebra-related stuff. Did you mean to write "3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development" [1]? If you did, I agree 100%. I got a lot out of this book and was able to put it to good use for several projects. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Math-Primer-Graphics-Game-Development-ebook/dp/B008KZU548/ https://www.amazon.com/Math-Primer-Graphics-Game-Development...
codesushi42 7y ago
I would disagree about the gamedev book reference, unless you are referring to the real basics of linear algebra. The really important concepts for ML are least squares, eigenvalues and vectors, and SVD. Those concepts are not very relevant to game programming. Well, least squares can be solved with projection, which is relevant for converting between coordinate spaces. But game dev isn't going to give you that intuition.
- Wurdan 7y ago
  I believe the person you're replying to was attempting to help people like me, who haven't had a math lesson since leaving high school (in my case over 16 years ago) and whose level of math is roughly "You want me to multiply something? Let me get my phone." So while the book in question might not be the best resource, it probably is a better starting point than the linked doc.
  - _russelldb 7y ago
    I wish someone would put together the "basic math" resource for people like that. I didn't do any maths beyond 16. I was an maths idiot at school (me? the teacher? I dunno) but since then I've worked 20 years in programming and had to learn more and more maths just to make a living. However, my maths is a rickety hodge-podge house, with no real foundations. I can't be a total idiot, because I've done some decent work in distributed systems, even research in CRDTs (which made me learn some math) but still, I'd love a self-study plan that took me from 16 to today with the _real basics_. Thanks for your comment, it made me feel less alone.
    - aashu_dwivedi 7y ago
      I've just finished the coursera's Mathematics for Machine Learning: Linear Algebra (https://www.coursera.org/learn/linear-algebra-machine-learning/home/welcome https://www.coursera.org/learn/linear-algebra-machine-learni...) and I'd say its very good for beginners
    - jimmcslim 7y ago
      Sometimes I feel doing a refresher in basic algebra and geometry/trig...
    - superviviente 7y ago
      I've had the same thoughts before. 'Basic Mathematics' by Serge Lang helped me a lot.
    - hackermailman 7y ago
commandlinefan 7y ago
Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm always irritated by math books that include practice exercises but no answers in the back of the book to check your work against.
- bobby358 7y ago
  I believe they do this because the real target audience is other professors. The author wants those professors to use their book for their own courses, and a bunch of problems with no answeres saves a lot of time. There seem to be very few books written with the autodidact in mind. Sometimes you can find the solutions manual via eBay or torrent though.
Liquix 7y ago
Do you have a link to that book perchance?

hx2a 7y ago

> If anyone needs to start even earlier than this, I've actually found "3D Math Basics for Graphics and Game Development" to be a good true intro for linear algebra-related stuff. Did you mean to write "3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development" [1]? If you did, I agree 100%. I got a lot out of this book and was able to put it to good use for several projects. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Math-Primer-Graphics-Game-Development-ebook/dp/B008KZU548/ https://www.amazon.com/Math-Primer-Graphics-Game-Development...

codesushi42 7y ago

I would disagree about the gamedev book reference, unless you are referring to the real basics of linear algebra. The really important concepts for ML are least squares, eigenvalues and vectors, and SVD. Those concepts are not very relevant to game programming. Well, least squares can be solved with projection, which is relevant for converting between coordinate spaces. But game dev isn't going to give you that intuition.

Wurdan 7y ago
I believe the person you're replying to was attempting to help people like me, who haven't had a math lesson since leaving high school (in my case over 16 years ago) and whose level of math is roughly "You want me to multiply something? Let me get my phone." So while the book in question might not be the best resource, it probably is a better starting point than the linked doc.
- _russelldb 7y ago
  I wish someone would put together the "basic math" resource for people like that. I didn't do any maths beyond 16. I was an maths idiot at school (me? the teacher? I dunno) but since then I've worked 20 years in programming and had to learn more and more maths just to make a living. However, my maths is a rickety hodge-podge house, with no real foundations. I can't be a total idiot, because I've done some decent work in distributed systems, even research in CRDTs (which made me learn some math) but still, I'd love a self-study plan that took me from 16 to today with the _real basics_. Thanks for your comment, it made me feel less alone.
  - aashu_dwivedi 7y ago
    I've just finished the coursera's Mathematics for Machine Learning: Linear Algebra (https://www.coursera.org/learn/linear-algebra-machine-learning/home/welcome https://www.coursera.org/learn/linear-algebra-machine-learni...) and I'd say its very good for beginners
  - jimmcslim 7y ago
    Sometimes I feel doing a refresher in basic algebra and geometry/trig...
  - superviviente 7y ago
    I've had the same thoughts before. 'Basic Mathematics' by Serge Lang helped me a lot.
  - hackermailman 7y ago

commandlinefan 7y ago

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm always irritated by math books that include practice exercises but no answers in the back of the book to check your work against.

bobby358 7y ago
I believe they do this because the real target audience is other professors. The author wants those professors to use their book for their own courses, and a bunch of problems with no answeres saves a lot of time. There seem to be very few books written with the autodidact in mind. Sometimes you can find the solutions manual via eBay or torrent though.

Liquix 7y ago

Do you have a link to that book perchance?