ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bit array

Okay kiddo, you know how we can keep track of numbers using our fingers, right? Well a bit array is kind of like that, but with computers.

In a bit array, we use a bunch of 0's and 1's to represent numbers. Instead of using our fingers, we use tiny electronic switches inside the computer to turn these 0's and 1's on and off.

Imagine you have a box with ten switches in it. We can use these switches to represent the numbers 0 through 9. Let's say we want to represent the number 5. We would turn on the 5th switch and turn off all of the others. This would give us a bit array that looks like this: 0000010000.

A bit array can be really useful because it takes up a lot less space in the computer's memory than other ways of representing numbers. It's also really fast for the computer to read and manipulate.

So, in short, a bit array is a way of representing numbers using electronic switches inside a computer, and it's a really efficient and speedy method to use.