ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Higher Topos Theory

Imagine you have a lot of different shapes like squares, circles, triangles and rectangles. Now imagine you can put these shapes together in different ways to make even more interesting shapes. That is what higher topos theory is about.

In math, a topos is a way to organize and simplify different kinds of mathematical ideas. It’s like a big toolbox you can use to build new things. Higher topos theory is like having an even bigger toolbox that lets you build even more complex mathematical structures.

To understand higher topos theory, you need to know a few basic concepts. First, think of a point on a piece of paper. That point has zero dimensions because it doesn’t take up any space. Next, think of a line. A line has one dimension because it has length. A square has two dimensions because it has length and width, and a cube has three dimensions because it has length, width, and height.

Higher topos theory is interested in studying shapes with more than three dimensions. These shapes are difficult to visualize, but we can use math to understand them. For example, we can understand four-dimensional shapes by imagining them as a series of three-dimensional slices stacked on top of each other.

Using higher topos theory, mathematicians can study very complicated structures that are difficult to understand with simpler tools. It’s like having a bigger and more powerful toolbox to build even more complex structures.