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Chapter 3: Linear Algebra & Calculus

Understand the mathematics behind machine learning and neural networks.


Metadata

Field Value
Track Foundation
Time 10 hours
Prerequisites Chapter 1 (Python Fundamentals)

Learning Objectives

  • Understand vectors, matrices, and tensor operations
  • Apply linear algebra to ML problems with NumPy
  • Grasp derivatives, partial derivatives, and gradients
  • Understand the chain rule and backpropagation intuition
  • Use numerical optimization basics

What's Included

Notebooks

Notebook Description
01_introduction.ipynb Vectors, norms, vector operations
02_intermediate.ipynb Matrices, matrix operations, NumPy
03_advanced.ipynb Gradients, backpropagation, optimization

Scripts

  • linear_algebra_toolkit.py — Core linear algebra functions
  • utilities.py — Helper functions for the curriculum

Exercises

  • 5 exercises with solutions (in solutions/ branch)

SVG Diagrams

  • 3 visual diagrams for vector/matrix concepts


Read Online

You can read the full chapter content right here on the website:

Or try the code in the Playground.

How to Use This Chapter

Quick Start

Follow these steps to get coding in minutes.

1. Clone and install dependencies

git clone https://github.com/luigipascal/berta-chapters.git
cd berta-chapters
pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Navigate to the chapter

cd chapters/chapter-03-linear-algebra

3. Launch Jupyter

jupyter notebook notebooks/01_introduction.ipynb

GitHub Folder

All chapter materials live in: chapters/chapter-03-linear-algebra/

NumPy Required

This chapter relies heavily on NumPy. Ensure it's installed: pip install numpy


Created by Luigi Pascal Rondanini | Generated by Berta AI