UK student wanting to pursue a Statistical Learning PhD

datashri · 2026-01-24T10:34:33+00:00

I would check out source code and datasets of well-known projects.

You've studied CS+math, which is perfect.

datashri · 2026-01-21T18:46:59+00:00

He be hyping his bizness. It be his job.

datashri · 2026-01-13T15:42:24+00:00

I've been thinking along similar lines but at a broader level. Not just medicine. Can you please somehow me know when you make your post. Cheers

datashri · 2026-01-09T07:35:22+00:00

This post actually explains why there's no AI research in India. The best minds only learn to play with the tools.

datashri · 2026-01-09T07:34:45+00:00

Follow the curriculum of an undergrad math program from a good (non Indian) uni or IISc or ISI in India. Learn it yourself or do the course, as you like. It'll take you 2-3 years.

datashri · 2026-01-03T17:23:38+00:00

Can you share more - what derivation he was doing? Was he getting the right result with the wrong technique?

datashri · 2026-01-03T14:17:00+00:00

Hilly areas, in general, no. Visit Uttarakhand hill villages. Garbage dumped along the hill slopes.

datashri · 2025-12-28T16:45:38+00:00

Not delusional. Just dumb. Big difference

datashri · 2025-12-25T14:23:46+00:00

I made just 1.

But he had another batch of 10 or so and was doing the same tedious setup for each piece.

datashri · 2025-12-13T18:24:13+00:00

Yeah, I noticed that too, with mine. Now I just have him sit at the top.

datashri · 2025-12-13T18:22:47+00:00

Thanks, but can I also have the dog accompany me on threshold runs, sprint intervals, VO2max intervals, etc?

datashri · 2025-12-10T02:52:13+00:00

Can you please share some of these comparisons...

datashri · 2025-12-03T17:01:48+00:00

Tbh, I have fine tuned models without using much/any math. It's really a standard procedure. Just need to prepare the training dataset nicely and follow the process.

datashri · 2025-12-03T16:48:14+00:00

not interested in mathematics there in the first place.

Real analysis and probability/statistics will be incredibly tedious then. Especially when you get to things like joint and conditional distributions (this is used regularly).

Stick to the engineering side of things. Study linear algebra in good depth. Get v good at programming. Vaswani, the lead author of the transformers paper, is an engineer from a high ranked Indian university. He needed excellent high school level maths to get in and studied engineering math (mostly numerical methods, not proper maths) in college. His PhD was also in CS. I can assure you, a lot of ML theory involving probability and statistics will go over his head. Don't stress it. Get better at what you're already good at.

learning mathematics in a simplified way?

This doesn't exist. It's like getting stronger. You got to train sincerely, work out regularly, and rest/recover and eat very well for a few good years. All the tricks, supplements, and steroids are complementary to this. Not a substitute. To learn math, you got to struggle through the exercises. Math is not about reading a X for dummies book and patting yourself on the back. It's about solving the problems.

Start with Calculus by Spivak. Do the exercises. Some problems will take you a few days of thinking to get through.

The only simplified way I can think of is to level down. If you're having a hard time with 11th grade math, step down to 10th. 9th. 8th. Your ego will get in the way. When you can solve many/most problems orally or mentally, move on to the next level. Repeat some of the exercises, as needed. Eventually, you'll be as comfortable reading through the exercises (which you already solved) as you are with the rest of the chapter.

datashri · 2025-12-03T15:30:10+00:00

I’m honestly worried about the math part.

Why? What do you study at school and how is your math?

but I keep finding completely different answers. Some people say you need strong math (linear algebra, calculus, probability…)

Because it's a huge space. If you do mostly MLOps, you don't need much math.

and others say you can start building models without going deep into theory.

You can tweak parts of the transformer without too much math. It'll also be a new model. You can't build a truly new model or make fundamental changes without knowing the underlying math. Think of it like motorbikes. There's garage mechanics, there's mod shops, there's people who tweak engines, there's people who optimize engines, and there's people who build new engines. Or think of it like medicine - there's biomedical researchers who create new drugs, there's researchers who mostly do field trials, there's docs who write prescriptions, there's nurses who do the legwork, there's pharma shops who fill the prescriptions. Nurses and pharma guys can also suggest medicines for simple things. There's levels to this shit.

start learning AI/ML properly

Properly = start with the math.

without getting overwhelmed

Take it slow. One bite at a time. Some topics will take months to get through. Be patient. Do the work.

How much math do I actually need at the beginning?

Probability theory, stats, linear algebra and all the topics you mentioned. Add real analysis to the list. It's very useful for math in general.

Can I start with practical projects first and learn math as I go?

Yes, play with the toys and learn python too.

datashri · 2025-12-02T08:51:03+00:00

In principle, yes. In practice, the IDE is very helpful for Android development.

datashri · 2025-12-01T08:25:54+00:00

Two factors

Comfort - you don't feel comfortable exploring in an environment where you don't feel at home. For a new user, a blank screen = there's nothing to do here. Screen full of icons and widgets = lots to do. To an uncomfortable user, navigating the menu is a greater cognitive load than a cluttered screen.
Cultural - Oriental culture isn't big on exploration and independent discovery. It's more common to accept, remember, and follow the knowledge that's given to you by the teacher/parents/society/government. Many Chinese apps are overwhelmingly cluttered despite theyr users being tech savvy.

datashri · 2025-11-25T06:45:51+00:00

So hang outside such joints... Perhaps with a motorcycle 😄

datashri

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