ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Tait–Kneser theorem

The Tait-Kneser theorem is a rule that tells us how to solve a big puzzle called the "Four Color Problem." This puzzle is about coloring in a map so that no two countries that touch each other are the same color. (Like coloring in a coloring book, but harder!)

The Tait-Kneser theorem helps us figure out how many different ways we can color the map using just four colors. It says that we only need to worry about the "borders" of each country and how they connect to each other. We don't need to think about the individual shapes of the countries themselves.

By using the Tait-Kneser theorem, mathematicians were able to prove that it is always possible to color a map with just four colors, no matter how complicated the map is! This was a very big and important discovery in math, and it helps us understand how we can solve other puzzles and problems too!