ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ternary relation

A ternary relation is like a game with three players. Each player has a specific role they play in the game, and together they make up the game's rules.

For example, imagine that you and your two friends are playing a game where you take turns building towers out of blocks. In this game, you are the builder, one friend is the block supplier, and the other friend is the timer. Together, you make up the rules of the game and each of you has an important job to do.

In math, a ternary relation is a similar concept. It's a way of describing a relationship between three things, kind of like a three-way handshake. For instance, if we have three sets of things - A, B, and C - we can describe a ternary relation as a connection between a specific object in set A, a specific object in set B, and a specific object in set C.

This can be useful in many areas of math, including logic, geometry, and computer science. Ternary relations help us to understand how three things are connected to each other and describe complex relationships in a simple and precise way.