ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Periodic function

A periodic function is like a song that keeps repeating itself over and over again. Just like how you sing the same tune each time you sing a song, a periodic function repeats the same pattern of numbers or shapes over and over again.

Let's say you have a spring that bounces up and down. It goes up, down, up, down, up, down, and so on. This movement of the spring is a periodic function because it repeats itself in a predictable manner.

Another example of a periodic function is a clock. Each minute, the second hand moves around the face of the clock and reaches the top at 12. Then, it starts again from the bottom and moves all the way back to the top again. This repeats again and again, following the same pattern.

Periodic functions can also be represented on a graph, and they usually have a repeating pattern that occurs at regular intervals. Just like how a song has a melody that repeats, periodic functions have a pattern that repeats.

In summary, a periodic function repeats the same pattern of numbers or shapes over and over again, just like how a song has a melody that repeats. It's like a clock that keeps ticking, or a spring that bounces up and down, with a predictable pattern that repeats in regular intervals.