a alias to the differential equation, for example these two situation are equivalent:
𝑦𝑦=0 then consider 𝑦=𝑒𝑟𝑡 to solve it

and
𝐿[𝑦]=0 where 𝐿=𝑦𝑦 consider solve 𝐿[𝑒𝑟𝑡]=0