
How does a high school student get started with ML (especially DL)? - lennyscales
16 y&#x2F;o, hasn&#x27;t learnt Linear Algebra or any Calculus in School. I&#x27;ve been watching 3b1b and playing around with gym, but do you guys have better, more detailed resources where I can learn from?
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Jugurtha
I think fast.ai[^1] would be a good start. I think you'll have analysis in
high school and learn a bit on that. Khan Academy[^2] seems to have courses
catering to a broad spectrum of skill levels in mathematics.

[^1]: [https://www.fast.ai](https://www.fast.ai)

[^2]: [https://www.khanacademy.org](https://www.khanacademy.org)

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s1t5
I would advise against fast.ai - "import * from my_custom_library and then
watch me run through all the cells in this notebook" is _not_ a good way to
learn for anyone at any level.

+1 for Khan Academy if OP hasn't done any linear algebra or calculus.

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Jugurtha
I understand. The recommendation is tailored to lennyscales who is 16 and
wants to _get started with ML_ without linear algebra or calculus in their
toolbox _yet_.

This is interest: a small, delicate, flame. They already got _started_
watching videos, and want to ramp it up with more details. I think the
increase in complexity ought to be gradual and match their toolbox: not too
trivial to cause boredom, and not too complex to completely discourage them. I
think actually getting started, not quitting, and picking up the necessary
tools along the way to solve problems as they arise is one approach.

They will equip their toolbox with calculus, linear algebra, statistics, and
all the things that brilliant people spent lifetimes building on top of each
others' work throughout humanity's existence. They may even fall in love with
these disciplines and pursue them for their own sake, but it is not
lennyscales' ask. Mastering these is not necessary to _get started with ML_ ,
no more than mastering computation theory and symbolic logic are necessary to
_get started with programming_.

This reply is given with bold assumptions on what you meant in yours, since it
was an objection against an approach without a recommendation for another. My
assumptions could be wrong.

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krimuthu
You should take a look at Grokking Deep Learning[1] by Andrew Trask. Its one
of the few books on Deep Learning which a student with high school mathematics
knowledge can read and understand. DL is about programming the computer so its
expected you would be able to write code using python.

[1]: [https://www.manning.com/books/grokking-deep-
learning](https://www.manning.com/books/grokking-deep-learning)

