After a scientist tries to explain that high-dimensional matrix multiplication is beautiful in some ways, New Yorker writer doubles down -- that's interesting, but recall that matrices have TWO dimensions.
Can't make it up.
Open the schools!!!!
I agree, although I believe most matrix multiplies for AI are done in two dimensions. Anyway, I stand by my statement. Matmuls are an effective piece of mathematical machinery, but the mechanics of calculating them are headache-inducing.
Indeed, it's exactly their computationally cumbersome nature that's propelling the data center boom. That point seems beyond argument.
“Composition of permutations is ugly because it is non-commutative in general and cycle notation is kind of annoying.” —The Mathematics Dunce
Nov 4, 2025 · 9:25 PM UTC