ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Stickelberger's theorem

Stickelberger's theorem is like a secret code that helps us figure out if some big numbers have special patterns in them.

Imagine you have a big number, let's say 135. Stickelberger's theorem helps us figure out if this number has some special pattern in it when we divide it by other numbers. This is called modular arithmetic.

For example, we might want to divide 135 by 5. With Stickelberger's theorem, we can do this in a special way that lets us see if 135 is part of a special group of numbers called an ideal class group.

Ideal class groups are like clubs for numbers. Some numbers are part of a club, and some aren't. Stickelberger's theorem helps us figure out which numbers are part of which clubs.

So, in a way, Stickelberger's theorem is like a secret decoder ring that helps us unlock the hidden patterns in big numbers. But instead of decoding messages, we're decoding math problems!