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What is 3Blue1Brown?
3Blue1Brown is a mathematics education channel and website created by Grant Sanderson, built around explaining mathematical ideas through custom animation. Instead of lecturing to a camera or writing on a whiteboard, it uses motion graphics to show why a formula or proof works — vectors sliding, derivatives as zoomed-in curves, neural networks as layers of weighted connections.
What it covers
The Lessons section organizes videos by topic rather than by course level:
- Linear algebra — vectors, matrices, eigenvectors, and the "essence" series that reframes the subject geometrically
- Calculus and differential equations — limits, derivatives, integrals, and the behavior of systems over time
- Neural networks — how backpropagation and gradient descent actually work
- Analysis, topology, geometry, fractals, probability, group theory, number theory
- Physics and computer science — including puzzles and shorter standalone pieces
There are also talks, guest videos, and material hosted on other channels, so the site functions as a hub rather than a single feed.
Who it suits
It works best for people who have already met the symbols and want intuition, or who are about to take a course and want a mental model first. A student stuck on eigenvectors, or a programmer who keeps hearing "gradient descent" without a picture of it, is the core audience. It is less suited to someone who needs practice problems, graded exercises, or a structured syllabus with deadlines — the videos build understanding, not drill.
How it is funded
The project is supported through Patreon rather than ads. Supporters get early access to new videos and provide feedback before release, along with a store discount and a name credit in a video. There is also a talent section that partners with organizations looking to hire technically curious viewers, which is essentially a virtual career fair.
Where to start
If you are new, pick the topic you are currently studying rather than watching chronologically — the series are designed to stand alone. For linear algebra or calculus, start at the first video in that series and watch in order, since later episodes assume the visual vocabulary of earlier ones. If you only have twenty minutes, the standalone puzzles and "why" videos are the easiest entry point.
Related mathematics resources worth knowing: Khan Academy for practice and pacing, and MIT OpenCourseWare for full university lecture courses.
How can I use 3Blue1Brown to learn linear algebra?
Use 3Blue1Brown as a conceptual companion to a textbook or course, not as your only linear algebra resource. Its linear algebra series is built around visual intuition: vectors as arrows in space, matrices as transformations, determinants as area scaling, eigenvectors as directions that stay on their span, and so on. That framing helps you build a mental model before or alongside the formal machinery of proofs and computations.
A practical way to use it:
- Watch the relevant video before reading the matching textbook section, so the symbols have geometric meaning when you meet them.
- Pause and sketch. Redraw the vector, the transformation, or the basis change yourself; passive watching feels productive but fades quickly.
- Follow up with problems. The videos explain ideas, but fluency in linear algebra comes from computing determinants, solving systems, finding eigenvalues and doing proofs by hand.
- Revisit videos after you have done exercises. The second pass often lands differently once you have struggled with the formal version.
- Use the topic list on 3Blue1Brown to match episodes to your syllabus: vectors, linear transformations, matrix multiplication, determinants, inverse matrices, eigenvectors, change of basis and abstract vector spaces.
Who it suits
| Learner | Fit |
|---|---|
| Beginner meeting vectors and matrices for the first time | Strong: visuals prevent symbol pushing without meaning |
| Student taking a proof-based linear algebra course | Useful as intuition, insufficient for rigor |
| Programmer or data scientist using matrices in practice | Good for building geometric intuition behind PCA, transformations and neural networks |
| Someone who only watches videos | Weak: without exercises, retention is limited |
The trade-off is depth versus accessibility. The series prioritizes insight over exhaustive coverage, so some standard topics and computational techniques may be lighter than in a conventional course. Treat it as one layer in a stack: lecture notes or a textbook for definitions and proofs, problem sets for practice, and 3Blue1Brown for the picture in your head.
If you want a structured starting point, work through the linear algebra playlist in order, then test yourself by explaining each concept aloud without the video. If you cannot reconstruct why a determinant measures area scaling, rewatch that episode before moving on.
Does 3Blue1Brown have videos on neural networks?
Yes. 3Blue1Brown has a dedicated Neural Networks lesson series, listed alongside Linear Algebra, Calculus, Differential Equations, Analysis, Physics and Computer Science in the site's Lessons index on 3Blue1Brown.
What the series covers
The neural networks lessons are built around the visual, animation-first style the channel is known for. Rather than deriving everything symbolically, they show what the weights, biases, layers and gradient descent steps are actually doing as the network learns. That makes the series a strong companion to a first machine learning course: you can read the math in a textbook and use these videos to build intuition for why the update rules take the form they do.
Typical topics across the series include:
- What a neuron computes and how layers compose
- Loss functions and why gradient descent moves the way it does
- Backpropagation, explained through the chain rule and computational graphs
- How trained networks represent features internally
Who gets the most from it
It suits self-taught learners, undergraduates meeting backpropagation for the first time, and professionals who use ML libraries but want a clearer mental model of the underlying mechanics. If you already know the calculus and linear algebra, you can watch at normal speed; if not, the channel's Linear Algebra and Calculus series are the natural prerequisites, and the site groups them together for exactly that reason.
A practical next step
Start with the first video in the Neural Networks playlist rather than jumping to the backpropagation episodes, since later videos assume the notation and framing established early. If you want a second perspective on the same material, YouTube hosts the channel's videos with community captions, and Patreon gives supporters early access to new videos plus a feedback role in refining them before release.
What are the benefits of supporting 3Blue1Brown on Patreon?
Supporting 3Blue1Brown on Patreon is framed as a way to fund ongoing lesson production while getting closer to the work before it is finished. According to the site's own Patreon section, the main stated benefits are early access to new videos, the chance to provide feedback that helps refine videos before their final release, a store discount, and having your name included in a video. Support is suggested if the lessons bring you value comparable to a textbook or a course.
What you actually get
| Benefit | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| Early access to new videos | Viewers who want to see topics sooner and don't mind a less polished cut |
| Feedback that shapes final videos | People with subject knowledge who enjoy commenting on drafts |
| Store discount | Viewers likely to buy merchandise anyway |
| Name in a video | Long-time fans who want visible recognition |
The feedback perk is the most distinctive: it turns support into a light editorial role. Early access matters most if you follow specific series closely, such as linear algebra, calculus, neural networks or probability, rather than watching occasional one-off videos. The store discount only pays off if you were already planning a purchase.
A practical way to decide
If you use the lessons as a primary study resource, early access and feedback give you something concrete beyond goodwill. If you watch casually, the main reason to join is simply wanting the project to continue. Before committing, check the current Patreon page for the exact tier structure, since perks can differ by level, and confirm whether the store discount and name credit apply at the tier you are considering.
Where can I find 3Blue1Brown's videos on other platforms?
3Blue1Brown distributes its videos beyond its own site through a handful of official channels. The main hub remains 3Blue1Brown, where the Lessons page organizes series by topic: Neural Networks, Linear Algebra, Calculus, Differential Equations, Analysis, Physics, Computer Science, and more, plus sections for Puzzles, Geometry, Topology, Fractals, Probability, Group Theory, Number Theory, Lockdown Math, Guest Videos, and Talks.
Where to watch or follow
- YouTube — the primary video home; the site's "On other channels" and "2nd Channel" links point here.
- Bilibili — a mirror for viewers in China, listed among the official follow links.
- Spotify — audio distribution, useful if you prefer listening to lecture-style content.
- Instagram, X, BlueSky, TikTok, Reddit, Facebook — short clips, announcements, and discussion rather than full lessons.
- GitHub — code and project material tied to the animations and lessons.
- RSS and the Mailing List — the most reliable way to catch new releases without relying on a social feed.
How to choose
If you want the complete, best-quality viewing experience with organized playlists, start on YouTube and use the site's Lessons index to pick a series in order. If you mainly want notifications, subscribe to the mailing list or RSS. If you're in a region where YouTube is inconvenient, Bilibili is the official alternative.
A practical next step: open the Lessons page, choose one series (Linear Algebra and Neural Networks are the most commonly recommended starting points), and follow it sequentially rather than jumping between topics. For early access and to influence drafts before release, the Patreon page is the route the site itself describes.
How can I get early access to new 3Blue1Brown videos?
The main route is Patreon: supporters get early access to new videos, and their feedback is used to refine the final versions. The same membership also includes a store discount and a credit in a video. See 3Blue1Brown for the current supporter details and links.
A few practical points:
- Early access is a perk of the paid supporter tier, not a separate newsletter or free signup. Joining the mailing list gets you announcements, not advance viewing.
- The early cut is a working version. If you enjoy seeing how a topic is shaped — including what gets cut or rephrased — the early release is part of the appeal; if you only want the polished result, the public release is enough.
- Support flows through Patreon, so you manage or cancel the pledge there. Check the tier description on the site before committing, since perks can change.
Who it suits: viewers who already treat the channel like a course and want to help fund it, plus anyone who wants to give feedback while a video is still being finished. If you're a student on a tight budget, watching the public release and sharing the videos costs nothing and still supports the work.
If you're mainly after previews of upcoming topics rather than finished videos, follow the channel's social accounts and second channel; those often show clips and works in progress before release.
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