ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Polish notation

Polish notation is a special way of writing math problems so that they're very easy to solve. Instead of writing the problem in the traditional way, which is to put the numbers first and the math symbols (+ - x /) after them, you write the symbols first, and then the numbers.

Imagine that you wanted to solve the problem 2 + 3. Normally, you would write it like this: 2 + 3. But in Polish notation, you would write it like this: + 2 3. The "+" symbol comes first, and then the numbers 2 and 3 come after it. This might seem a little strange, but it actually makes it much easier to solve complicated problems.

Let's try another example. What if we wanted to solve the problem 2 + 3 x 4? Normally, you might be confused about which operation to do first. But in Polish notation, you don't have to worry about that. You would write the problem like this: + 2 x 3 4. First, you do the multiplication (3 x 4), which equals 12. Then, you add 2 to 12, and you get the answer: 14.

So, why is Polish notation so helpful? Well, one reason is that it eliminates the need for parentheses. Normally, if you have a complex math problem, you might need to use parentheses to make sure you do the operations in the right order. But in Polish notation, you don't need to use parentheses at all. The symbols make it clear which operation comes first, second, and so on.

Polish notation was invented by a Polish mathematician named Jan Łukasiewicz. He came up with the idea in the early 20th century, and it's still used today in some computer programs and calculators. If you ever see a math problem written in Polish notation, don't be intimidated! It might look strange at first, but it's actually a really clever way of solving problems.