ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Flow (mathematics)

Flow is like the movement of water in a river or stream. When we want to talk about flow in math, we're talking about how things move or change over time. Imagine you have a big bucket full of water, and you want to know how quickly the water will flow out of the bucket. One way to figure this out is to measure how fast the water is flowing at any given moment.

In math, we use something called a "flow field" to describe how things move or change over time. This flow field tells us how elements within a system are moving or changing. Just like with the water in the bucket, the flow field can help us figure out how quickly things are moving in a particular area at any given moment.

Flow can be used in many areas of math, like calculus, physics, and engineering. For example, if you're designing a bridge, you might need to use flow equations to figure out how much weight the bridge can support before it collapses. Another example is if you're studying weather patterns, flow equations can help you predict how air will move through the atmosphere.

Overall, flow in math is all about figuring out how things change over time, and using that information to make predictions and solve problems.