ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Finite difference

Finite difference is a way of estimating what something (like an equation) is doing at different points. Think of it like throwing a rock in the water and seeing where the waves go. If the waves get bigger and smaller in different places, then the rock must have thrown the waves in those directions. Finite difference is basically like that - you start with a point and look at the waves around it, to figure out what the equation is doing there.