Contiguous for Dummies

Contiguous is a word used to describe things that are touching or next to each other without any gaps or spaces in between. Imagine you're sitting in a row of chairs, and the chair next to you is right up against yours, with no empty seats in between. That's what it means for things to be contiguous - they are directly connected with no interruptions.

Let's say you have a bunch of puzzle pieces that fit together to create a picture. When you put them all together, if none of the pieces are missing and they all fit perfectly with no gaps, that's a contiguous puzzle. Each piece is touching the one next to it, creating a complete image with no spaces between them.

Now, let's talk about other examples of things being contiguous. Think about a row of houses on a street. If all the houses are built right next to each other, with no empty lots or open spaces in between, that's a contiguous line of houses. The same idea applies to other things as well, like a row of trees in a forest or a stretch of land without any breaks or interruptions.

It's important to remember that "contiguous" can describe both physical objects and abstract ideas. So, for example, if you have a series of steps you need to take in order to solve a problem, each step should be contiguous. This means that each step is directly connected to the next one, with no missing pieces or gaps in your thinking.

So, in simple terms, when something is contiguous, it means that it is touching or next to something else without any gaps, breaks, or interruptions. Whether it's a row of chairs, puzzle pieces, houses on a street, or a sequence of steps, "contiguous" describes things that are directly connected, just like pieces of a puzzle fitting perfectly together.