ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lie derivative

The Lie derivative is a way of measuring how a moving object changes or stretches when it's moving. Imagine that you have a car, and it's moving in a straight line on a flat road. The Lie derivative tells you how much the shape of the car is changing as the car is moving forward. For example, if the car is getting longer as it moves, the Lie derivative will tell you how fast it's getting longer.