ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Arithmetic of abelian varieties

Okay, kiddo, let me explain what arithmetic of abelian varieties means. Abelian varieties are a special type of geometric object called algebraic varieties that have a group structure, kind of like addition. Arithmetic, on the other hand, is all about numbers.

So arithmetic of abelian varieties deals with understanding the behavior of these special geometric objects when we do arithmetic operations with numbers.

For example, let's say we have two abelian varieties and we want to add them together. We can't just add their shapes like we would with regular objects because they're not physical. We have to use a special mathematical trick called the group law to add them together.

This group law works differently than regular addition. Instead of just adding the number of apples in two baskets together, we also have to consider how the baskets are related to each other.

But the really cool thing is that we can use this same group law to define multiplication as well! This means that we can multiply abelian varieties together just like we would with regular numbers.

Now, why is understanding the arithmetic of abelian varieties important? Well, it turns out that these objects have some deep connections to number theory, which is the study of whole numbers, primes, and other number-related topics. Studying the arithmetic of abelian varieties helps us understand more about number theory and can even help us solve difficult math problems.

So, that's what arithmetic of abelian varieties is all about – using special group laws to add and multiply these geometric objects together, which helps us better understand and solve problems related to numbers.