Learning the math
SHIVASNOTES / EXPLORE
Linear algebra, gradients and optimization—worked through one step at a time.
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Selected reading
A few places to start. Follow a topic tag to browse more notes.
| Article | Topics | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Muon Optimizer: From wx+b to Matrix Updates | Worked example | |
| Backpropagation Through LoRA & QLoRA: Follow the Gradients | Interactive guide | |
| LoRA & QLoRA: Inside the Update | Visual guide | |
| Quaternion to Axis-Angle: A Drone's 45-Degree Turn | Worked example | |
| Muon Optimizer: SGD vs AdamW vs Matrix-Aware Training Updates | Deep dive | |
| Why 4-Bit Quantization Is King: Understanding Q4_K, MXFP4, and NVFP4 | Visual guide |
Follow the work. Understand the machine.
I write about the maths, the kernels, and what happens when I try to make them work. Join me for the investigations, including the bits that go wrong.
ENGINEERING NOTES FROM ANTHONY SHIVAKUMAR
THE ILLUSTRATED FIELD GUIDE
How to think like an AI kernel & HPC engineer
- 10 pages to connect the pieces
- A real Whisper investigation
- A worksheet for your next experiment
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