Why Machines Learn The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI

A compelling, story-driven exploration of the mathematics that fuels machine learning and the accelerating rise of artificial intelligence.

From deciding who qualifies for a mortgage or bail, to diagnosing cancer, today’s machine learning systems are making decisions that deeply impact our lives. They're also transforming science—driving breakthroughs in chemistry, biology, physics, genomics, and even quantum mechanics. And this was all underway before tools like ChatGPT entered the spotlight.

We are in the midst of a machine learning revolution—one that continues to gain momentum. Surprisingly, it’s powered by mathematical principles that are centuries old, such as linear algebra and calculus. These foundational ideas, combined with advances in computer science and the advent of powerful GPUs in the 1990s, sparked the AI boom that surrounds us today. In this illuminating book, Anil Ananthaswamy unpacks the essential math behind machine learning, while exploring thought-provoking connections between artificial and natural intelligence. Could the same mathematical principles underlie both?

Ananthaswamy ultimately argues that to responsibly harness the power of AI, we must understand both its incredible potential and its inherent limits—and those insights begin with the mathematics at its core.