ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Root-finding algorithm

Okay kiddo, have you ever tried to find something that was lost, like your favorite toy? Well, sometimes grown-ups need to find something too and one of those things is the solution to an equation. An equation is like a puzzle where you need to find what goes in a box to make the equation true.

For example, if you have the equation 2x = 4, the box is in the place of "x" and you need to figure out what number you can put in there so that it makes the two sides equal. In this case, we can see that the answer is "2" because when you put it in the box, you get 2 times 2 which equals 4.

But what if the equation is not so easy to solve? That's where a root-finding algorithm comes in. It helps grown-ups find the solution to the equation when they don't know what goes in the box.

A root-finding algorithm is like a treasure hunt. The grown-up starts at one spot, usually a guess of what could be in the box, and follows some rules to move to a new spot. They keep moving until they find the treasure or the solution to the equation.

One rule is the "guess and check" method. The grown-up makes a guess of what could be in the box, and checks if it's close to the answer. If it's not close, they make a new guess and check again. This keeps going until they find an answer that's close enough to the real answer.

Another rule is the "divide and conquer" method. Instead of guessing, the grown-up starts at the middle of a range of possible answers and checks if it's too high or too low. They repeat the process, but only in the half that could contain the answer until they find the solution.

There are even more advanced algorithms that use computer programs to calculate better guesses and use complicated math formulas.

So, a root-finding algorithm is like a treasure hunt that helps grown-ups find the solution to an equation when they don't know what goes in the box. They follow rules, make guesses, and keep checking until they find the answer.