ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Menelaus theorem

Okay kiddo, let me tell you about Menelaus' theorem!

Imagine you have a triangle with three sides and three vertices. If you draw a line that goes through one of the vertices and intersects the two other sides, you just divided the triangle into two smaller triangles.

Now, Menelaus' theorem tells us that if you take three points that are on each of those three sides you just divided the triangle into, and you multiply them together... something pretty cool happens!

The product of these three points is the same, no matter which side of the triangle we're talking about. This means that we can use this equation to figure out different lengths within the triangle.

But why is this important, you might ask? Well, it helps us solve all kinds of triangle problems and makes it easier to understand the relationship between points in different parts of the triangle.

So, there you have it! Menelaus' theorem is a mathematical concept that helps us understand triangles better by using multiplication and breaking down the sides into smaller pieces.