ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Overcompleteness

Imagine you have a toy box with 10 different types of toys in it. You only need 2 toys to play with, but you have 10 to choose from. This is called something being "overcomplete".

In math, overcompleteness means having more information or pieces than you need to solve a problem. It's like having extra puzzle pieces that don't really fit, but you can still make the puzzle work.

Overcomplete systems are used a lot in coding, signal processing, and image analysis. They can help you get a more accurate and complete understanding of the data you're working with.

So remember, just like having extra toys in a box, having extra information in a math problem can be really helpful!