ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Minimum spanning tree

A minimum spanning tree is like a special kind of path or route. It is used to connect all the points in a big diagram. Instead of using the shortest route, it looks for the cheapest or most efficient route. So if a map has lots of different cities, you would use a minimum spanning tree to find the best way to travel between all of them, using the least amount of money.