How I Mastered Visualizing Multi-Dimensional Tensors with a Surprising Real-Life Analogy

Author(s): Aamir Mushir Khan

Originally published on Towards AI.

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Nine years ago, as I began my journey into the world of scientific computing and machine learning, I stumbled upon a concept that seemed almost impossible to grasp: multi-dimensional tensors. I could wrap my head around numbers, matrices, and even three-dimensional objects, but when I had to think beyond three dimensions, it felt like I was stepping into a world of pure abstraction. Tensors — these mysterious mathematical entities — were everywhere in the fields of AI, scientific computing and deep learning, but they seemed out of reach to me.

Image by author (generated using AI)

I needed a better way to visualize and understand tensors. After days of mental gymnastics, I had an epiphany — what if I used a real-life analogy to explain tensors to myself? This single insight transformed my understanding. Suddenly, everything clicked. Tensors were no longer intimidating; they were part of a story. Today, I’m going to share that story with you, taking you from zero-dimensional tensors to the complexity of multi-dimensional tensors, all through a fun analogy involving two characters, Alice and Bob.

Our story begins with two characters, Alice and Bob, and two rooms, aptly… Read the full blog for free on Medium.

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Published via Towards AI