ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Oka–Weil theorem

Okay kiddo, so the Oka-Weil theorem is like this very cool rule that allows us to figure out if there are any "holes" in a certain shape. You know how we can draw shapes on paper and some of them have areas that are empty (like a doughnut shape or a ring)? Well, the Oka-Weil theorem helps us know if there are any such empty spaces in a shape, which is important in things like math and science.

Now, this theorem was made by two very smart people named Kiyoshi Oka and André Weil, who figured out that the way to check for these empty spaces is by using something called "complex analysis." Complex analysis is like a tool that helps us understand shapes and spaces by using special numbers called "complex numbers," which are like a mix of real numbers (like 1, 2, 3) and imaginary numbers (which are like pretend numbers that help us do some cool math).

So when we use complex analysis to study a shape, we can look at how these complex numbers move around the shape, and if they can move in a certain way without hitting an empty space, then we know that the shape has no holes! And that's the Oka-Weil theorem for you - a clever way to figure out if there are any empty spaces in a shape by using complex analysis.