ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Analytic expression

An analytic expression is like a magic spell that can help us figure out the answers to math problems really quickly. Imagine you have a box of Legos, and you need to build a tower that is ten blocks tall. Instead of counting each block one by one, you can use an analytic expression to quickly figure out how many blocks you need to stack up.

An analytic expression uses symbols, like + for adding or x for multiplying, to represent a math problem. So instead of writing out "2 + 2", you can use the analytic expression "2x + 2y" to represent any two numbers you want to add together. This makes it easier to solve math problems because you can use the same expression to add up different numbers without having to write out the problem every time.

It's like having a secret code that helps you do math faster! An analytic expression can also help us understand more complicated math problems, like calculus, by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable parts. So next time you need to do a math problem, try using an analytic expression and see how much easier it can be!