ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ramsey's theorem

Okay kiddo, let me explain Ramsey's theorem in a very simple way. You know how sometimes we play with colored blocks or toys, and we want to group them all together by colors? Maybe we only want to have red blocks together, or blue blocks together.

Well, Ramsey's theorem is a rule that says that if we have enough blocks or toys, and we start grouping them by colors, we will always end up with a certain pattern.

The pattern is that there will always be a group of blocks or toys that are all the same color, or there will always be a group where every block or toy is a different color.

It's like when you're playing a game and you keep playing until you get a pattern, like tic-tac-toe or connect four. You always end up with a winner or a tie, and with Ramsey's theorem, you always end up with a certain pattern too.

It might seem like a simple rule, but Ramsey's theorem actually helps mathematicians solve really complicated problems involving groupings and patterns. It's like having a secret tool that helps them figure out puzzles that seem impossible to solve.

So that's Ramsey's theorem, a rule that says when we group things by colors, there will always be a certain pattern that appears no matter how many groups we make. Pretty cool, huh?