Maths for AI Archives - Dr Amita Kapoor

The Art of Judging a Coin Flip: Binary Cross-Entropy in the AI Universe

June 22, 2025

Imagine you’re trying to teach a machine the difference between a cat and a dog. You show it a picture of a cat, and it says, with 90% confidence, “That’s a cat.” Great! Now you show it a dog, and it says, with 60% confidence, “That’s a cat.” Not so great. The second guess is …

Probability Mass Functions: The Unsung Heroes Behind Every “Generate” Button You’ve Ever Clicked

May 14, 2025

“If probability is the language of uncertainty, a PMF is its grammar: crisp, discrete, and occasionally punch‑line worthy.” Picture this: You open your favorite generative‑AI app, type “Write me a haiku about mangoes,” and in less time than it takes to blink, a tiny digital poet complies. What sorcery decides which 17 syllables appear? Beneath …