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Deep Learning Math Workbook: 300 puzzles to build your mathematical foundation for deep learning
Purchase options and add-ons
Internalize the math behind deep learning, from dot products and matrix multiplication to deep neural networks, with this comprehensive workbook by Prof. Tom Yeh featuring 300 original AI-by-Hand exercises
Key Features
- Learn by doing with 300 bite-sized puzzles that convert math concepts into muscle memory
- Master the building blocks, including dot products, matrix multiplication, linear layers, activations, softmax, and gradients
- Discover clear, visual explanations designed for students, practitioners, and educators
Book Description
Deep Learning Math Workbook is a practical, exercise-based guide to understanding the mathematics behind neural networks, written by Prof. Tom Yeh, creator of the global AI by Hand movement. Rather than relying solely on formulas or code, this workbook invites you to compute, visualize, and think through every step, like solving crossword puzzles that train your mathematical intuition.
With the help of 300 original AI by Hand exercises, you’ll progress methodically from the basics to advanced deep learning concepts. Each chapter, Dot Product, Matrix Multiplication, Linear Layer, Activation, Artificial Neuron, Batch, Connection, Hidden Layer, Deep, Wide, Softmax, and Gradient, builds toward understanding how modern neural networks actually work.
Even though most AI books skip the arithmetic, this workbook makes every computation explicit and intuitive. You’ll see and feel how each operation transforms data, helping you develop deep intuition for how learning happens inside the model.
This is more than a math book, it’s an interactive learning experience that rewards persistence.
What you will learn
- Connect hand calculations to the behavior of modern deep neural networks
- Break down deep learning math into small, solvable puzzles
- Discover the meaning behind core operations, such as dot product, matrix multiplication, and normalization
- See how linear layers, activations, and loss functions fit together
- Link the math of simple neurons to modern deep networks
- Develop true intuition for AI, not by memorizing formulas, but by reasoning step by step
Who this book is for
This book is for students and beginners looking to gain a solid foundation in AI and deep learning. Engineers and data scientists who want to strengthen their mathematical intuition, as well as educators and mentors teaching machine learning or neural networks will find this book useful. It is also beneficial for self-learners who prefer practical, visual, and step-by-step learning approaches.
Table of Contents
- Dot Product
- Matrix Multiplication
- Linear Layer
- Activation
- Artificial Neuron
- Batch
- Connection
- Hidden Layer
- Deep
- Wide
- Softmax
- Gradient
- ISBN-101806674777
- ISBN-13978-1806674770
- PublisherPackt Publishing
- Publication dateNovember 28, 2025
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions6 x 0.26 x 9 inches
- Print length114 pages
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From the Publisher
What Inspired You to Create a Workbook Rather Than a Conventional Deep Learning Text?
I’ve seen myself and my students struggle with the huge gap between abstract symbolic math and the code that actually runs the model. Traditional texts lean heavily on equations with greek symbols. They’re beautiful, but for most learners they’re hard to connect to implementation.
Masking—filling in the blanks—has been one of the most powerful ideas in deep learning. And ironically, it's been underused in how we teach deep learning math.
As an ESL learner, I mastered English through endless fill-in-the-blank exercises. That pattern forced me to engage, not skim. Deep learning math is also a language. So I thought: why not use the same method to teach the “grammar” of deep learning? That’s what this workbook tries to do.
What Makes This Workbook Different From Other Deep Learning Resources?
It’s the opposite of a textbook. No long explanations. Instead, the workbook is built entirely on patterns, context clues, and fill-in-the-blank prompts that force you to trace, reason, and reconstruct the mechanics yourself.
And like good deep learning, it uses many training examples. You don’t learn by reading one explanation but by doing ten slightly different versions of the same structure until the pattern clicks. It’s different because it's not passive learning and you can’t skim through it. You have to interact.
Why Do Beginners, Students, and Practitioners Need The Underlying Math—Not Just The Code?
Because without the math, everything feels like magic. For me, when things feel like magic, I feel like an imposter.
Understanding the math—even at a foundational level—changes your posture. It makes you feel empowered. You can inspect a model, reason about its behavior, and debug with confidence.
The code is just an expression of the math. If you understand the math, the code stops being intimidating.
Deep Learning Math Workbook
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Matrix Multiplication Workbook
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| Customer Reviews |
4.2 out of 5 stars 29
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4.5 out of 5 stars 21
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| Focus | Core math patterns used across deep learning (layers, softmax, etc.) | Matrix multiplication mechanics, shapes, and information flow |
| Why This Workbook | Bridge the gap between symbolic math and the code that runs real models | Understand the human-side intuition behind AI |
| Teaching Style | Pattern-based fill-in-the-blank training (not a textbook) | Puzzles + fill-in-the-blank drills (no dense explanations) |
| Best for | Learners who want the math to feel empowering, not like “magic” | Learners who want to visualize MatMult under the AI hood |
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This is a practical, hands-on workbook filled with math problems that help readers practice the equations behind core deep learning algorithms. It works well as a companion to a traditional textbook (pairing theory with applied exercises) or as a standalone resource for self-study. The problems start with simple examples and gradually increase in complexity, allowing readers to build confidence step by step. I think that this approach is effective for understanding how values are transformed as they pass through different layers of a neural network.
I recommend this book to readers who are new to deep learning, as well as to those who want to refresh their understanding of the mathematical foundations, especially matrix operations and related concepts.”
Andrey Lukyanenko, Kaggle Competition Master, Machine Learning Engineer at Meta
“An exceptional workbook with clean diagrams and color-coded elements that make complex concepts incredibly clear. The brilliant pedagogical progression masterfully builds from dot products to gradients, while hands-on exercises create genuine understanding through active engagement. Highly recommended for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of machine learning fundamentals through hands-on practice.”
Chorouk Malmoum, AI and Data Science Engineer, Founder of AgentX Academy
“Tom Yeh’s Deep Learning Math Workbook is a rare blend of clarity and rigor. It breaks down complex neural network math into tactile, visual exercises that actually teach intuition rather than formula memorization. As someone who’s spent two decades explaining models to quants and traders, I can say this workbook succeeds where most textbooks fail. It makes the math of deep learning feel concrete, approachable, and fun.”
Jason Strimpel , Managing Director, AI & Advanced Analytics, Author of Python for Algorithmic Trading Cookbook
“Prof. Yeh's workbook turns deep learning math into a series of small, satisfying wins.By working through each puzzle step by step, you are not just memorizing formulas, you are internalizing how the pieces fit together, creating a kind of mathematical intuition that stays with you. It’s the hands-on foundation I always wished I had!”
Serg Masis, Principal AI Scientist and Author of Interpretable Machine Learning with Python
“AI by Hand by Prof. Tom Yeh is one of the most intuitive and visual introductions to AI and deep learning you’ll ever find, a workbook that literally lets you “see” how neural networks think. Tom has a unique gift for turning complex math into playful, hands-on puzzles, making the learning experience not only simple but genuinely fun. Anyone who wants to truly understand AI, not just use it, should read this book.”
Eduardo Ordax, Generative AI Lead at AWS and Founder Thinkfluencer AI
“The single best way to learn neural networks (or any topic in computer science) is to build them from scratch. Every resource that aims to help you build a rock-solid foundation is a breath of fresh air in the sea of high-level tutorials, but Prof. Tom Yeh's work stands out from all. If you want to truly master neural networks, the Deep Learning Math Workbook is a must-read.”
Tivadar Danka, Educator in Mathematics & Machine Learning and Author of Mathematics of Machine Learning
“This book feels like opening the hood of deep learning and finally seeing every moving part, dot products, activations, neurons, layers, all laid out with crystal-clear visuals that make the math click instantly. It’s the rare kind of technical book that teaches by revealing, not overwhelming: every diagram builds intuition, every example unlocks another piece of how neural networks actually work.
If you’ve ever wanted a book that turns the machinery of AI into something you can literally follow with your finger, this is it.
A beautifully designed deep-learning guide that makes the math feel alive.”
Mike Erlihson, PhD, Head of AI at Stealth Startup
About the Author
Tom Yeh is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in human computer interaction and its societal impacts.
Product details
- Publisher : Packt Publishing
- Publication date : November 28, 2025
- Language : English
- Print length : 114 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1806674777
- ISBN-13 : 978-1806674770
- Item Weight : 8 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.26 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #86,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6 in Mathematics Research (Books)
- #38 in Statistics (Books)
- #74 in Mathematics Study & Teaching (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Tom Yeh is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. He advances human-centered artificial intelligence by developing methods, systems, and interaction techniques that make modern AI models more interpretable, controllable, and usable. His work explores how people build, inspect, and reason about complex AI systems—from machine learning pipelines to intelligent agents—creating tools and representations that reveal model structure, behavior, and limitations rather than treating AI as a black box.
Building on foundations in human–AI interaction and AI-assisted programming, he lowers the barriers to designing and debugging intelligent systems while supporting meaningful human oversight. Yeh also brings these ideas to a global audience through AI by Hand ✍️, an initiative that teaches AI from first principles using intuitive, hands-on approaches, helping learners develop a deeper and more accessible understanding of modern AI.



















