ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Handlebody

Imagine you have a big, soft ball. You can take it apart and put it back together in a different way. This is kind of like what mathematicians do with shapes in 3D space. They take a shape apart and put it back together in a different way to study it.

A handlebody is a special kind of shape that is kind of like a bunch of tubes or straws glued together, making a big, hollow ball. It's like a group of inner tubes that have been stuck together. This shape is useful in topology, a branch of math that studies shapes, because it's easy to break down into smaller parts and put back together in a different way.

Handlebodies can have different numbers of tubes or handles, which help classify different kinds of shapes. For example, a mug is shaped like a handlebody with one handle, while a doughnut is shaped like a handlebody with two handles. Mathematicians use handlebodies to understand how different shapes are related to each other and to help solve difficult problems.
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