ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Brauer's theorem on forms

Brauer's Theorem on forms is a way to understand how numbers can be presented in different forms, like fractions or decimals. Imagine you have three apples and you want to share them equally between you and your friend. You can either present this as a whole number (3), a fraction (3/2), or a decimal (1.5).

In the same way, numbers can have different forms in mathematics. Brauer's Theorem helps us understand how to convert these forms into each other. Specifically, it helps us understand how to change a number's form when it's multiplied by another number.

To understand this idea, let's go back to our apple example. Imagine you had six apples instead of three. If you want to share these apples equally between you and your friend, you can present this as a whole number (6), a fraction (6/2), or a decimal (3.0). Notice that each form has changed because we multiplied the original number (3) by another number (2).

Similarly, Brauer's Theorem helps us understand how a number's form changes when we multiply it by another number. Specifically, it tells us how to change the form of a number when we multiply it by a specific type of number called an algebraic number.

In summary, Brauer's Theorem on forms helps us understand how numbers can be presented in different forms, and how to change a number's form when it's multiplied by another number. Just like sharing apples, changing a number's form can help us understand math problems better!