ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Group of Lie type

Okay, so imagine that you have a really cool toy that can change shape and size in different ways, kind of like a Transformer. Now, imagine that there are other kids who also have these toys and they all have different rules for how they can change. But, just like with normal toys, sometimes they break and don't work the way they are supposed to.

Well, a group of lie type is like a group of these Transformer toys, but for grown-ups who study math. They are called "groups" because they are a collection of things that can be combined or manipulated in different ways. And they are called "of lie type" because they follow certain rules that were discovered by a mathematician named Sophus Lie.

These rules are really complicated, but they help us understand things like symmetry and geometry in a really precise way. And just like with the toys, sometimes these groups don't work the way we expect them to, which is why mathematicians keep studying them and coming up with new ideas.

So, to sum up, a group of lie type is a math concept that helps us understand how things can change and can be combined, using rules that were discovered by a famous mathematician. It's like a really cool toy for grown-ups who like to do math!