[tchalla]

> my argument is, if you can not understand what the chain rule is, you will not understand more complicated mathematics in ML.

Are you sure about this?

[medo-bear]

yes. in europe admission into an ML-type masters degree lists all three standard levels of mathematical analysis as a bare minimum for application

[tchalla]

If by understand, you mean understand and not regurgitate it when asked as a trivia question - I agree with you. However, there are different interpretations of the chain rule.