SUNY Canton Assistant Professor Authors New AI Textbook

Assistant Professor Mehdi Ghayoumi, Ph.D., the lead faculty member in SUNY Canton’s Data Science and Analytics program, has authored his third textbook on Artificial Intelligence.

“Mathematical Foundations for Deep Learning” was published through Chapman and Hall on August 4. The new book explores the fundamental mathematical concepts that power modern deep learning as a means of equipping students with the tools and knowledge needed to excel in the rapidly evolving AI field, according to the author.

“Mathematical Foundations for Deep Learning bridges theoretical mathematics with real-world AI applications,” Ghayoumi said. “Designed for learners at all levels, the book explains key concepts in linear algebra, calculus, probability, and optimization, and shows how they power deep learning models. With real-world examples and tools, it equips readers to apply mathematical theory to modern AI challenges.”

The four concepts Ghayoumi mentioned underpin how generative AI and large language models operate:

• Linear algebra helps a computer rearrange and combine large amounts of data so it can locate every pixel in an image, every sample in a sound file, or every word in a sentence.
• Calculus measures change. An AI model uses it to ask, “If I nudge these numbers slightly, does my prediction improve or worsen?” and then adjusts itself on the fly.
• Probability & Statistics is informed guessing. The model learns, for example, which word is likely to come next in a sentence or whether an image looks more like a cat than a dog.
• Optimization keeps searching for the shortest, fastest route to the best answer and continually fine-tunes the model to reduce mistakes.

“Written to translate complex mathematics into clear, hands-on language, this book equips every AI enthusiast with tools they can apply immediately,” Ghayoumi said. “By mastering these math fundamentals, readers won’t just anticipate the future of technology, they’ll help shape it.”

Ghayoumi previously published the texts “Generative Adversarial Networks in Practice” and “Deep Learning in Practice” with Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. The SUNY Canton faculty member also recently received a National Science Foundation I-Corps Grant to market an advanced eye-tracking system to detect indicators of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Data Science and Analytics program is the college’s newest four-year online degree. It is a direct offshoot of the highly successful bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity. SUNY Canton’s fall 2025 semester begins on Thursday, August 21. The college offers rolling admissions and students can apply up until the week before classes begin. For more information about any of the college’s programs, or to apply, visit the college’s Admissions webpage.