ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Conformal manifold

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a piece of play-dough that you can shape and mold into any shape you want. Now, think of a conformal manifold like that play-dough, except instead of just having 3 dimensions, it has many more!

A conformal manifold is kind of like a special shape that can be bent and stretched in different ways, but still keeps the same general shape. It's like if you took that play-dough and just stretched it a little bit, without changing what it’s supposed to be.

The way a conformal manifold is able to do this is through something called a conformal transformation. It's like you have a magic power that can make the shape of the manifold look different, but it's still the same basic thing. Think of it like putting on a costume, you look different, but you're still you!

Scientists like to study conformal manifolds because they help us understand the shape of the universe and the behavior of things in space. It’s kind of like a big puzzle that we’re trying to piece together, and understanding conformal manifolds is like understanding one of the pieces of that puzzle.

So, in short, a conformal manifold is like play-dough that can be stretched and bent in different ways, but still keeps the same general shape, and it helps scientists understand the shape of the universe.