Shimura variety

Okay, so you know how sometimes grown-ups like to play with numbers and shapes? Well, Shimura variety is kind of like a special game they play with shapes called algebraic varieties.

Now, an algebraic variety is just a fancy way of saying a bunch of points and lines that fit together in a certain way. It's like a puzzle without a picture where you have to figure out what shape it makes.

But Shimura variety is a special kind of algebraic variety that has something to do with the idea of symmetry. Symmetry is like when things look the same if you turn them around, or flip them over. For example, if you draw a butterfly and fold the paper in half, the wings will look the same on both sides.

Shimura variety has to do with finding different ways that shapes can have symmetry. It helps grown-ups understand more about shapes and numbers, and also helps them solve really hard math problems. It's kind of like a secret code that only some really smart people can figure out.

So, basically, Shimura variety is like playing a fun game to figure out how shapes can look the same in different ways. Cool, right?