ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Map of lattices

A map of lattices is like a picture of a bunch of boxes that fit together like a puzzle. Imagine you have a bunch of small boxes made out of Lego bricks. Each tiny box is made up of a certain number of bricks and they all fit together and stack up on top of each other just so.

Now, let's say we want to see a picture of all the possible ways we can stack up these boxes. To make a map of lattices, we lay out all the different options in a big picture. We can see how they all relate to each other and how they fit together.

But this map doesn't just show us how to stack up boxes. It's actually a really useful tool for all kinds of math and science problems. It helps mathematicians and scientists study how things are arranged and patterned in the world around us.

Think of it like a puzzle you can use to solve problems. By looking at the map of lattices, we can find patterns and rules that can help us solve all sorts of problems from building structures to understanding the properties of atoms.