ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Arithmetic function

An arithmetic function is a special tool that helps us count and do math in a more organized way. Think about counting the number of fingers on your hand - that's a simple arithmetic function!

But arithmetic functions can get much more complex than that. They are like machines that take in a set of numbers (called input), and then spit out a new number as the output. For example, let's say we have an arithmetic function that takes any number and doubles it. If we input 3, the function would spit out 6.

One of the coolest things about arithmetic functions is that they can help us do all sorts of mathematical operations like addition, multiplication, and even more complex calculations like calculating the factors of a number or finding the greatest common divisor of two numbers.

So why do we need arithmetic functions? Well, they help us make sense of the big, complicated numbers in the world around us. If we want to calculate something like the number of atoms in a molecule or the distance between two planets, we need to use arithmetic functions to help us break it down into simpler parts that we can understand and work with. By using these functions, we can build up our understanding of math and science, and eventually use these tools to explore and discover new things about the world we live in.