ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Fundamental theorem of Galois theory

Okay, kiddo, let me explain the fundamental theorem of Galois theory to you!

Galois theory is all about understanding symmetry and how it relates to equations. When we solve an equation like x^2 = 9, we know there are two possible answers: x = 3 and x = -3. But what about more complicated equations, like x^3 - 2x^2 + x = 0? How do we find all the possible solutions?

That's where Galois theory comes in. It tells us that we can understand the solutions of an equation by understanding the symmetries that preserve the equation. For example, if we swap the roots of an equation and the equation still looks the same, then that's a symmetry we can use to help us solve it.

So, the fundamental theorem of Galois theory says that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the subgroups of the "Galois group" of an equation (which is just all the symmetries that preserve the equation) and the subfields of the "splitting field" of the equation (which is just the field that contains all the roots of the equation).

What does that mean? Well, it means that if we can understand the symmetries of an equation (its Galois group), then we can also understand all the possible subfields of its splitting field. And since the roots of the equation are all in the splitting field, that means we can also understand all the possible solutions to the equation!

So, in summary, the fundamental theorem of Galois theory tells us that understanding the symmetries that preserve an equation can help us understand all the possible solutions to that equation. Pretty cool, huh?
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