ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Gromov's theorem on groups of polynomial growth

Okay kiddo, let me explain Gromov's theorem on groups of polynomial growth in a way you can understand.

Do you know what a group is? Think of a group as a team of people who work together and follow certain rules. But in math, a group is a set of objects and a rule for combining those objects in a certain way.

Now, let's talk about growth. Imagine you have a plant that grows 1 inch every day. After 10 days, it will have grown 10 inches. If it grows at a constant rate like this, we say it has linear growth. But what if the plant grows faster and faster every day - maybe it grows 1 inch on the first day, 2 inches on the second day, 3 inches on the third day, and so on? This is an example of polynomial growth.

So, Gromov's theorem is about groups that grow in a certain way - specifically, groups that have polynomial growth. These groups are like plants that grow faster and faster over time.

Gromov's theorem says that if you have a group with polynomial growth, you can compare it to a simpler group that also has polynomial growth. This is important because it helps us study these complicated groups more easily. It's like saying that even though one plant grows faster than another, they both follow the same basic rules of growth.

In summary, Gromov's theorem is a way of understanding and comparing groups that grow in a specific way, like plants that grow faster and faster over time. It helps us see how these groups behave and make them easier to study.
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