ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Matrix function

Hi there! Okay, so imagine you have a bunch of numbers written down in a grid, like a big square puzzle. Each row and column has a bunch of numbers in it. This is called a matrix - it's just a fancy word for a big block of numbers arranged in a certain way.

Now, a matrix function is like a special rule that you can apply to a matrix. Think of it like a recipe for cooking: just like you follow a recipe to make a delicious meal, you can follow a matrix function to change or transform a matrix in a specific way.

For example, let's say we have a matrix with the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 in it. If we apply a matrix function that says "add 1 to every number in the matrix", our matrix would look like this:

2 3 4 5

That's because we added 1 to each of the original numbers in the matrix. Another matrix function might be "multiply every number in the matrix by 2", which would give us:

2 4

6 8

See how we applied the matrix function and got a new matrix as a result? That's basically what a matrix function is - a set of instructions for changing a matrix in a specific way.