"Lie algebras are vector spaces with additional algebraic structure that gives rise to beautiful and deep combinatorics. They occur naturally as certain sets of square matrices, and are a kind of generalization of the ideas of symmetry."
I was math major, and I did an MS in a very math-related Industrial Engineering program (lots of proofs about convexity and stochastic processes). And honestly, I don't really understand this either.
And I actually know what "vector space", "combinatorics", and "square matrices" are, and I'm aware that algebra is more than a second year high school subject. I wonder if I'd get it if you spent more time explaining.
Unfortunately, your field is extremely abstract and difficult to understand, though it is kind of possible (that PBS special on fermat's last theorem did explain some pretty incredible things to people who don't have a math background).
I was math major, and I did an MS in a very math-related Industrial Engineering program (lots of proofs about convexity and stochastic processes). And honestly, I don't really understand this either.
And I actually know what "vector space", "combinatorics", and "square matrices" are, and I'm aware that algebra is more than a second year high school subject. I wonder if I'd get it if you spent more time explaining.
Unfortunately, your field is extremely abstract and difficult to understand, though it is kind of possible (that PBS special on fermat's last theorem did explain some pretty incredible things to people who don't have a math background).