ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Symbolic dynamics

Symbolic dynamics is like a secret code that helps us understand complicated patterns in math or science. Imagine you have a long string of numbers, like 123456789101112131415, and you want to find certain patterns in it. Instead of looking at all the numbers, you can use symbols to represent certain patterns.

For example, you could use the symbol A to represent every time the number 1 appears, and use the symbol B to represent every time the number 2 appears. Then, instead of looking at the long string of numbers, you can just look at the pattern of symbols, like AAABBBAAA. This makes it easier to see certain patterns and understand what's going on.

Symbolic dynamics are used in lots of different fields, from physics to biology to economics. Scientists and mathematicians use them to study patterns in everything from the stock market to the weather to the behavior of atoms. It might seem complicated at first, but once you understand how it works, you'll be able to see patterns in things you never thought possible!