ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Stability (algebraic geometry)

Okay, so you know how sometimes when you're drawing a picture, you might accidentally smudge the lines or mess up a little bit? But then other times, your picture comes out really nice and neat and it looks just like you wanted it to? That's kind of like what mathematicians talk about when they talk about stability in algebraic geometry.

In algebraic geometry, people study shapes like circles, parabolas, and other kinds of curves and surfaces that mathematicians like to talk about. But just like when you're drawing a picture, sometimes these shapes can get a little bit messy or distorted. That's where stability comes in.

Stability is a way of saying that a shape is consistent or reliable. It means that if you change the shape just a tiny bit, it won't change too much. So if you drew a perfect circle and then accidentally smudged the line just a little bit, the circle would still look like a circle. It might not be perfect anymore, but it would still look pretty close.

Mathematicians like to know when shapes are stable, because it helps them understand how these shapes behave over time. For example, if you had a surface that was really stable, and then you started changing it slowly, you might be able to predict what it will look like in the future. Just like if you drew a picture that was really stable, you might be able to guess what it would look like if you finished coloring it in.

So in summary, stability in algebraic geometry means that shapes are consistent and reliable, even if they get a little bit messy or distorted. It helps mathematicians understand how these shapes behave over time, and makes it easier to predict what they will look like in the future.