Ok kiddo, do you know what numbers are bigger or smaller than other numbers?
Great! Now imagine you have three different numbers, let's call them A, B, and C. Ptolemy's inequality says that:
AB + AC ≤ BC + A⁄C×B
Basically, it is a way to compare how big or small the sides of a special kind of shape called a quadrilateral are. Think of a quadrilateral as a shape with four sides, kind of like a square or a rectangle.
Now, if we use Ptolemy's inequality, we can compare the lengths of the sides of a quadrilateral to see if it's a special kind of quadrilateral called a cyclic quadrilateral. That means if you draw a circle around it, all four points of the quadrilateral will touch the circle.
So, Ptolemy's inequality helps us figure out if a quadrilateral can be a cyclic quadrilateral based on the lengths of its sides. Pretty cool, right?