Vector

A vector is simply an ordered list of numbers, like [0.2, -1.3, 0.8]. That is the whole definition. Vectors matter because they are how AI represents everything: words, images, sounds, all become vectors so a neural network can do math on them.

A helpful mental image: a vector is a set of coordinates that places something at a location on a map. A vector with three numbers is a point in 3D space. AI uses vectors with hundreds or thousands of numbers, placing each item in a vast space of meaning where similar things sit close together.