Foundations: Math & Python from Zero

Who this phase is for

If matrix multiplication, log, eˣ, or ∂L/∂w make you freeze — or you’ve never written a line of code — start here. Phase 1 is called a refresher because it assumes you already know this material. This phase builds it from zero, in plain English, with nothing assumed.

What you’ll be able to do at the end

• Do the arithmetic and algebra that every later formula leans on, without panic.
• Read functions, exponents, logarithms, and summation (∑) notation.
• Write and run real Python in your browser — variables, loops, functions, NumPy.
• Picture a vector, a slope, and a probability — the three ideas all of ML rides on.

How to move through it

Lessons build on each other in order. Math comes first (lessons 1–4), then you learn Python (lesson 5), then you put them together (lessons 6–8). When you finish, Phase 1 will read like review instead of a foreign language.