ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ax–Grothendieck theorem

The AX-Grothendieck Theorem is like a really hard puzzle that mathematicians try to solve. You know how you try to put a puzzle together and it has lots of little pieces and you have to figure out how they all fit together? Well, mathematicians try to do the same thing with really hard math problems.

This particular puzzle has to do with something called algebraic geometry, which is like math that deals with shapes and equations. One of the big questions in this area of math is trying to understand what kinds of shapes you can create with algebraic equations.

The AX-Grothendieck Theorem is a solution to a part of this puzzle. It says that if you have a shape that can be created by an algebraic equation, then there are certain other shapes that are connected to it in a special way. This connection helps mathematicians understand more about these shapes and how they relate to each other.

It's kind of like if you have a bunch of toys that all fit together and make a big toy castle. The AX-Grothendieck Theorem helps mathematicians figure out how all the different shapes fit together to make the castle.

So, in a nutshell, the AX-Grothendieck Theorem is a really tough math puzzle that helps mathematicians understand how shapes made by algebraic equations fit together.