Welcome

Thank you for purchasing the MEAP for Deep Learning with PyTorch, Second Edition.

The book is written for developers, students, or even hobbyists who have some prior experience with the Python programming language and want to gain a better understanding of deep learning. There is no better time to learn about deep learning than now as artificial intelligence gains an ever-growing significance in shaping our products and the world around us.

Throughout this book we will cover essential deep learning concepts that every practitioner should know. In parallel, we will navigate through the features of PyTorch, an open source deep learning framework, leveraging it as our primary tool in developing sophisticated deep learning models. As the industry standard, PyTorch has become an essential tool to any deep learning developer’s tool belt. Delving into PyTorch allows us to achieve two objectives at once – not only do we equip ourselves with the means to build cutting-edge models, but we also gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies behind deep learning principles.

As part of the second edition, we have taken strides that the book has the most relevant information and PyTorch best practices. We will introduce generative AI model architectures that have exploded in popularity such as the transformer and diffusion models. You will be equipped with up to date information and learn about optimizations that have become increasingly important as research ideas get shipped into production.

We are excited to be your guides on this journey. Deep learning is an incredibly dynamic field with so many exciting developments and PyTorch will light (pun intended) your way forward! We encourage you to post any questions or comments you have in the liveBook’s Discussion Forum.

-Howard Huang