Dynamical mean-field theory

Dynamical mean-field theory is like playing a game with your friends, where each person can make their own moves, but they all affect how the game goes as a whole.

Imagine you and your friends are playing a game of catch. Each person can throw the ball in their own way, but every time the ball is caught, it affects the pace and direction of the game.

Now imagine instead of a game of catch, you and your friends are studying the properties of materials or substances, like metals or magnets. In these substances, the way the individual parts (like atoms or electrons) move affects how the substance behaves as a whole.

Dynamical mean-field theory helps scientists understand how these individual parts move and interact in these substances, by considering each one as a separate "player" in the game. This theory uses powerful computer simulations to study the behavior of these players and how they impact the overall properties of the substance, like its electrical conductivity or magnetic properties.

Essentially, this theory helps scientists understand how the individual parts work together in a novel substance or material, much like how you and your friends work together to play a game of catch.