ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Contact (mathematics)

Contact in mathematics is like having a really strong hug between two shapes or objects. Imagine you have two shapes, like a circle and a rectangle, and you want to squeeze them together as tightly as possible without squishing them. The point where they touch each other is called the "contact point."

This contact point is like a secret code that helps the shapes communicate with each other. They can tell each other where they are and which direction they're going. It's like when you high-five your friend, you are making contact and saying "hello!"

Contact is important in math because it helps us understand how shapes move and interact with each other. It's like when you play with blocks and stack them on top of each other - you need to know where they touch each other so they don't fall down.

So, contact is like a strong hug between shapes that helps them stay together and communicate with each other. It's an important part of understanding how shapes move and interact in math.