ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Homotopy associative algebra

Okay kiddo, so today we are going to learn about homotopy associative algebra. It’s a big word, but we’ll break it down into smaller parts.

First, what is algebra? Well, algebra is a type of math where we use letters and symbols to represent numbers and figure out how they work together.

Now, what does associative mean? Associative just means that the way we group things together doesn’t matter. For example, if we have 2 + 3 + 4, we can group the first two numbers together (2+3) and then add 4. Or we can group the last two numbers together (3+4) and then add 2. Either way, we get the same answer (9).

Finally, what’s a homotopy? (this might be a bit harder to understand, but bear with me) Homotopy is a way to show that two things can be transformed into each other. It’s like how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. Even though they look very different, we know they are still the same thing because one can transform into the other.

So when we put all of these things together, homotopy associative algebra means that we have a way to use algebra where we can group things together in different ways and still get the same answer. And we can also transform one thing into another thing in a special way.

This idea is very important in lots of areas of math, like topology and geometry. It helps us understand shapes and spaces in a really cool way. And even though it might seem complicated, remember that we can always break it down into smaller parts to understand it better.