Best Mathematics courses
The 60 Mathematics courses Redditors recommend to each other on Reddit, ranked by how many people recommended each one, how strongly, in how many separate threads and over how many years (453 recommendations). 50 of them are free. How ranking works.
18.06 Linear Algebra (Gilbert Strang)
MIT OpenCourseWare · beginner · free
Commenters call it the best linear algebra resource available, praising Strang's intuitive, unassuming lecturing style and how it clarifies concepts like the SVD and the four fundamental subspaces.
6.042J Mathematics for Computer Science
MIT OpenCourseWare · intermediate · free
Commenters call it an excellent, intuition-first course for the math behind algorithms and theory, and a strong way to build logic and proof-writing skills.
Linear Algebra
Khan Academy · beginner · free
Commenters call it very accessible and thorough, and useful as a prerequisite for machine learning and statistics.
Linear Algebra
MIT OpenCourseWare · intermediate · free
Commenters call Gilbert Strang's linear algebra lectures the best and use MIT's videos to relearn college math.
Essence of Linear Algebra
YouTube · beginner · free
Commenters call it second to none for visual intuition, say it made linear algebra click, and describe its insights as the kind they wish they had been given in college.
Calculus
Khan Academy · beginner · free
Commenters call Khan Academy's calculus videos one of the easiest ways to learn the math prerequisites for machine learning, and say its exercises and mastery system help the material stick.
Mathematics for Machine Learning
Coursera · intermediate · paid
Commenters point to it as a structured path through the math behind ML, suggesting it after learning the basics of matrices and calculus or after trying applied ML first.
Mathematics for Machine Learning Specialization
Coursera · intermediate · freemium
One commenter points to it as a proper refresher on the math behind machine learning, contrasting it with rote hand-calculation learned in college.
6.041 Probabilistic Systems Analysis and Applied Probability
MIT OpenCourseWare · intermediate · free
Commenters call it a very good, amazing course for learning probability from the ground up, and one recommends it alongside Tsitsiklis' book as superb material.
18.01 Single Variable Calculus
MIT OpenCourseWare · beginner · free
Commenters point to it as a free, university-level calculus course to learn from on their own, often alongside a textbook and problem sets.
Stat 110: Probability
Harvard University · beginner · free
Commenters call it an excellent, clear introduction to probability with strong intuition and well-regarded lectures from Prof. Blitzstein.
18.02 Multivariable Calculus
MIT OpenCourseWare · intermediate · free
Commenters call it an excellent, very good starting point for multivariable calculus and often pair it with 18.01 and 18.06 as free university-level material.
Algebra
Khan Academy · beginner · free
Commenters point to Khan Academy's algebra and calculus courses as awesome and a good way to build the prerequisite math needed for CS topics.
6.042 Mathematics for Computer Science
MIT OCW · intermediate · free
Commenters recommend it for its intuitive explanations combined with approachable formalism, and one calls it a standard prerequisite for technical interview algorithm questions.
Introduction to Probability (6.041x)
edX · intermediate · free
Commenters call it amazing, very good, and one of the best courses they've taken, praising its rigor and the time-intensive exercises.
Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science
MIT OCW · intermediate · free
Commenters describe it as a great course and recommend it for hands-on computation with useful mathematics, and one recommends its course notebooks for seeing Pluto in action.
Statistics and Probability
Khan Academy · beginner · free
Commenters call it a linear, start-from-the-basics resource that builds the math needed for more advanced courses, and they say it is their first recommendation before other resources.
Calculus
MIT OpenCourseWare · intermediate · free
Commenters use it to refresh college-level math; one describes relearning derivatives and matrix basics by working through it before taking machine learning courses.
Probability - The Science of Uncertainty and Data
edX · beginner · free
Commenters describe it as a very good, genuinely helpful preparation course for later statistics and machine learning work, with one calling it highly recommended.
Computational Linear Algebra
fast.ai · intermediate · free
Commenters recommend it as a practical follow-on to 3Blue1Brown for learning how linear algebra is actually computed, aimed at people who already know matrix and vector basics.
18.065 Matrix Methods in Data Analysis, Signal Processing, and Machine Learning
MIT OpenCourseWare · intermediate · free
Commenters point to it as Strang's follow-up to his linear algebra course, useful for understanding the math behind machine learning papers.
Statistics
Khan Academy · beginner · free
One commenter says Khan Academy covered everything in their statistics and linear algebra classes, so they recommend it as a companion to AIMA.
Coding the Matrix: Linear Algebra through Computer Science Applications
Coursera · intermediate · free
Commenters praise its learn-math-by-coding approach that shows applications early, with one calling its treatment of complex numbers especially strong.
Calculus (Professor Leonard)
YouTube · mixed · free
Commenters call Professor Leonard's calculus lectures really good and say they helped them pass calculus 2, treating them like a college lecture course.
Discrete Mathematics Specialization
Coursera · beginner · freemium
Commenters call it the place to start for the math underlying computer science, and say it can be audited for free.
18.05 Introduction to Probability and Statistics
MIT OpenCourseWare · intermediate · free
Commenters point to it as an MIT course with a useful readings section for learning probability and statistics, and one describes the full course as a complete package with video lectures, recitations, assignments, and quizzes.
Matrix Algebra for Engineers
Coursera · intermediate · freemium
Commenters call it one of the most fun courses they have taken and say it relates linear algebra to programming and other CS topics.
Introduction to Mathematical Thinking
Coursera · beginner · free
Commenters call it a fantastic introduction to mathematical thinking and a good starter for real analysis, with one calling it one of their favorite MOOCs.
Precalculus
Khan Academy · beginner · free
One commenter recommends it as a starting point for someone already comfortable with algebra, and suggests using the site's videos to fill in topics they find hard.
Linear Algebra: Foundations to Frontiers
edX · beginner · free
Commenters call it the best in its class for scope and depth and recommend it as the linear algebra foundation for machine learning study.
Linear Algebra for Machine Learning
Coursera · beginner · freemium
Commenters recommend it as a clear, intuitive starting point for vectors, matrices, and eigen calculations, with one calling it a good first step toward core ML theory.
Intro to Statistics
Udacity · beginner · free
Commenters call it an informative, easy-to-follow introduction to statistics that helped one person move into data analytics and brush up on stats skills.
Intro to Descriptive Statistics
Udacity · beginner · free
Commenters point to it as a free starting point for statistics, one of the introductory courses Udacity recommends before its AI nanodegree.
Essence of Calculus
YouTube · beginner · free
Commenters call it an excellent take on calculus and a good way to get the basics before more advanced math.
Discrete Mathematics
YouTube · beginner · free
Commenters call it the best beginners' discrete math course they have seen.
Calculus
Coursera · beginner · freemium
Commenters recommend it as the starting point for someone who doesn't know calculus at all, and one says they are enjoying it a lot.
Geometry
Khan Academy · beginner · free
One commenter recommends Khan Academy while relearning geometry, trig, calculus, and linear algebra after a job break, pointing to it alongside Paul's Online Math Notes.
Data Analysis
Coursera · intermediate
Commenters describe it as a good applied statistics course using R, and say it is widely used in medical and business industry work.
Effective Thinking Through Mathematics
edX · beginner · free
One commenter says they found it valuable after reading an article on learning mathematics, and it was offered as a related resource.
Discrete Mathematics (UC San Diego)
Coursera · beginner · paid
Commenters point to it as one of the big-name university math courses worth taking alongside algorithms study, and bundle it with the Stanford discrete math course as a cheap prep option.
EE364A Convex Optimization
Stanford University · intermediate · free
Commenters call it one of the best courses for building a mathematical foundation behind machine learning and AI, and praise its video lectures.
Intro to Inferential Statistics
Udacity · beginner · free
Commenters describe it as a free introductory stats course that Udacity recommends before its AI nanodegree, and one commenter took it to brush up stats skills for a career in data analytics.
Introduction to Probability
probabilitycourse.com · beginner · free
A commenter says they are working through it themselves for probability while rusty on college math, and lists it alongside Khan Academy and Andrew Ng's Coursera course.
Statistical Rethinking
YouTube · intermediate · free
Commenters say it will make you relearn statistics and call the most recent lecture round excellent.
Linear Algebra: Foundations to Frontiers
edX · beginner · free
Commenters suggest it as the linear algebra course to take alongside a machine learning course, with one calling it useful for applying the math after pairing it with Strang's lectures.
Khan Academy math courses
Khan Academy · mixed · free
Commenters call it a complete, self-sufficient resource for math, saying you won't need any other book or course, and point to it as a good free option.
College Algebra
edX · beginner · free
Commenters call it amazing and say it is far superior to Khan Academy for review, and one found it very good for refreshing high school math.
6.012 Introduction to Probability
MIT OpenCourseWare · beginner · free
One commenter points to it as the place to go for actually learning probability, as opposed to the statistics-oriented material used in machine learning courses.
Essence of Linear Algebra and Essence of Calculus
3Blue1Brown · beginner · free
Commenters recommend it as a visual, intuition-first complement to more academic courses, useful for building a solid understanding of linear algebra and calculus before ML work.
Linear Algebra
Coursera · beginner
Commenters suggest taking it after Khan Academy's linear algebra lectures, and one says doing it first is enough preparation for the mathematics for machine learning material.
3Blue1Brown Video Series
YouTube · mixed · free
Commenters single it out as fantastic for building intuition, and one suggests watching it alongside a machine learning course to prepare for the math.
Calculus One
Coursera · beginner · free
Commenters call it excellent and say the professor made the content interesting and did not dumb it down.
Essence of Linear Algebra
3Blue1Brown · beginner · free
Commenters describe it as a great way to build geometric intuition for linear algebra, with one noting its videos on stats are very digestible.
Probability and Statistics (MIT OpenCourseWare)
MIT OCW · intermediate · free
Commenters call the MIT lectures very in-depth and concise, and recommend them as foundational knowledge for machine learning work.
Khan Academy Math
Khan Academy · mixed · free
Commenters use it as a supplement to formal math classes and as a free starting point before learning to program.
8.01 Physics I: Classical Mechanics
MIT OpenCourseWare · beginner · free
Commenters point to it as part of the MIT physics sequence and say it is probably the only physics course needed for game programming.
Statistics Playlist
Khan Academy · beginner · free
Commenters point to it as an accessible way to pick up the statistics needed for ML and analytics, with one saying the first 14 videos were enough to get started.
Mathematics for Machine Learning and Data Science
Coursera · beginner · freemium
Commenters point to it as a math foundations option for people preparing for deep learning or ML study, especially those missing calculus background.
Introduction to Higher Mathematics (Bill Shillito)
YouTube · intermediate · free
Commenters call it probably the best YouTube lecture course for the transition to higher mathematics.
Essence of Linear Algebra and Essence of Calculus
YouTube · beginner · free
Commenters point to it as an accessible visual foundation for the math behind machine learning, with one telling a learner to watch every video.