ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Network analysis (electrical circuits)

Imagine that you have a toy train set, but instead of trains, we have electricity moving around. In a toy train set, the tracks are connected together so that the train can move from one piece to another. In electrical circuits, we connect things called "nodes" together using "branches".

A node is a point where electricity can flow in or out, like a station on a train track. A branch is a wire that connects two nodes together, like a section of train track between two stations.

When we connect nodes and branches in different ways, we create different circuits. Just like different train tracks can make the train go in different directions and take different paths, different electrical circuits can make electricity flow in different directions and take different paths.

Network analysis is the study of these electrical circuits. We use math and diagrams to figure out things like how much electricity is flowing through a circuit, where the electricity is going, and how quickly it is moving. We can also use network analysis to improve electrical circuits and make them more efficient, just like we might make a train track layout more efficient by adding more switches or tracks.

In summary, network analysis is the study of how we connect nodes and branches together to create electrical circuits, and how we can use math and diagrams to understand and improve these circuits.