Introduction to LLM - Understanding LLMs – A Mathematical Approach to the Engine Behind AI

Total of 8 articles available. Currently on page 1 of 1.

2.1 What Is a Large Language Model?

A clear and in-depth explanation of what Large Language Models (LLMs) are. Learn how LLMs map token sequences to probability distributions, why next-token prediction unlocks general intelligence, and what makes a model “large.” This section builds the foundation for understanding pretraining, parameters, and scaling laws.
2025-09-08

Chapter 2 — LLMs in Context: Concepts and Background

An accessible introduction to Chapter 2 of Understanding LLMs Through Math. Explore what Large Language Models are, why pretraining and parameters matter, how scaling laws shape model performance, and why Transformers revolutionized NLP. This chapter provides essential context before diving deeper into the mechanics of modern LLMs.
2025-09-07

1.3 Entropy and Information: Quantifying Uncertainty

A clear, intuitive exploration of entropy, information, and uncertainty in Large Language Models. Learn how information theory shapes next-token prediction, why entropy matters for creativity and coherence, and how cross-entropy connects probability to learning. This section concludes Chapter 1 and prepares readers for the conceptual foundations in Chapter 2.
2025-09-06

1.2 Basics of Probability for Language Generation

An intuitive, beginner-friendly guide to probability in Large Language Models. Learn how LLMs represent uncertainty, compute conditional probabilities, apply the chain rule, and generate text through sampling. This chapter builds the mathematical foundation for entropy and information theory in Section 1.3.
2025-09-05

1.1 Getting Comfortable with Mathematical Notation

A clear and accessible guide to understanding the mathematical notation used in Large Language Models. Learn how tokens, sequences, functions, and conditional probability expressions form the foundation of LLM reasoning. This chapter prepares readers for probability, entropy, and information theory in later sections.
2025-09-04

Chapter 1 — Mathematical Intuition for Language Models

An accessible introduction to Chapter 1 of Understanding LLMs Through Math. Learn how mathematical notation, probability, entropy, and information theory form the core intuition behind modern Large Language Models. This chapter builds the foundation for understanding how LLMs generate text and quantify uncertainty.
2025-09-03

Part I — Mathematical Foundations for Understanding LLMs

A clear and intuitive introduction to the mathematical foundations behind Large Language Models (LLMs). This section explains probability, entropy, embeddings, and the essential concepts that allow modern AI systems to think, reason, and generate language. Learn why mathematics is the timeless core of all LLMs and prepare for Chapter 1: Mathematical Intuition for Language Models.
2025-09-02

Understanding LLMs – A Mathematical Approach to the Engine Behind AI

A preview from Chapter 7.4: Discover why large language models inherit bias, the real-world risks, strategies for mitigation, and the growing role of AI governance.
2025-09-01

Category

Tags

Search History

Authors

SHO

CTO of Receipt Roller Inc., he builds innovative AI solutions and writes to make large language models more understandable, sharing both practical uses and behind-the-scenes insights.