ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Cartan–Karlhede algorithm

Well, imagine you have a big puzzle with a lot of pieces, and you want to figure out how they fit together. The Cartan-Karlhede algorithm is a way to help you do that.

First, you need to understand what something called a "metric" is. A metric is a way to measure distance between things. For example, if you're trying to measure the distance between two points on a map, you might use the metric of kilometers or miles.

Now, imagine that your puzzle pieces are actually parts of a curved surface, like a sphere. The Cartan-Karlhede algorithm helps you figure out how to put those pieces together by using a metric that describes the curvature of the surface.

The algorithm works by looking at how the puzzle pieces fit together at their edges. It uses the metric to figure out how much they need to be rotated or flipped in order to fit together smoothly.

So, in summary, the Cartan-Karlhede algorithm is like a helper for putting together a puzzle of curved pieces. It uses a "metric" to figure out how the pieces fit together at their edges so that everything fits together nicely.