ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Estrada index

The Estrada index is like a way to measure how connected all the elements in a big group are. Imagine you have a lot of toys, and you want to know how much fun you can have playing with them. The more toys you can connect and play with in different ways, the higher your Estrada index would be!

Now let's pretend your toys are actually individual people who know each other. The more people who are connected with each other in a way that allows them to interact and form groups, the higher their Estrada index would be. It's like having a big happy family where everyone knows each other and has fun together!

To actually calculate the Estrada index, you use a special equation that adds up all the connections between the individuals in the group. It's like counting how many ways you can play with your toys and how often you can switch them around to make new groups.

So, in summary, the Estrada index is like a way to measure how much fun you can have playing with a big group of people, just like you would have fun playing with a big group of toys. It helps you see how close and connected everyone is within the group.