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The best way to visualize matrix multiplication

A good intuition is worth a thousand formulas.

April 16, 2026 · ~1 min read · Javier Luengo
The best way to visualize matrix multiplication

Sometimes it’s really hard to translate a concept into something intuitive or visually descriptive, but once you find the right way, you never forget it. It’s like multiplication. You might not know what 2×3 is straight away, but if you understand that multiplying 2×3 means adding 3 twice, you can work it out.

Of course, not all problems are that straightforward, some require more imagination.

Today I came across a website that explains matrix multiplication in a way I’ll never forget. With that visualization, the rules just stick naturally: given two matrices A (m×n) and B (n×p), they can only be multiplied if their inner dimensions (n) match, and the result will be a matrix of size m×p. The page is: matrixmultiplication.xyz

I think this kind of representation reaches its peak with the channel 3Blue1Brown, which I’ll never get tired of sharing and recommending.