ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Modular representation theory

Modular representation theory is like building with LEGOs. You start with a big pile of blocks, which are like objects or things that you want to study. Then you want to see how they all fit together, so you start putting them together in different ways.

Sometimes, you might find that some of the blocks don't fit together perfectly, like they're a little too big or a little too small. This is kind of like when we're working with numbers that have remainders when we divide them by other numbers.

So when we study modular representation theory, we're looking at how we can put together these objects or things, even when they don't fit perfectly. We use something called a "modular" or a "modulus" to help us do this.

Basically, a modulus is a number that helps us figure out what the remainders are when we do division. It's like a tool we use to make sure everything fits together nicely, even when it's not a perfect fit. Using the modulus, we can figure out how to group different objects together in a way that makes sense and helps us understand them better.

So that's modular representation theory in a nutshell - it's like building with LEGOs while using a special tool to make sure everything fits together, even if it's not a perfect match.