ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Right-angled Artin group

Okay kiddo, so imagine you and your friends all like to play with blocks. But, you all have different rules for how to stack the blocks. Some of you can only stack the blocks straight up and down, while others can stack them diagonally too.

Now, imagine if we had a special group that was made up of all of you and your friends who stack blocks in a right-angled way - that means you can only stack them in straight lines that are either horizontal, vertical, or at a 90-degree angle. That group is called a right-angled Artin group.

It's like a club of block stackers who have to follow certain rules for how they stack their blocks. And just like in a club, the members of this group have certain relationships with each other and need to work together to solve problems.

But instead of blocks, this group uses math symbols and equations to make patterns and solve problems. And just like with blocks, they have to follow specific rules for how they combine and manipulate those symbols.

So, a right-angled Artin group is a group of people who follow special rules for how they combine math symbols and equations and work together to solve problems. Although, instead of blocks, they use math!