Mappings are a way to represent relationships between different sets of data or objects. They help to show how one item corresponds to another, making it easier to understand connections. For example, in mathematics, a mapping can link elements from one set, like A, B, C, to another set, such as 1, 2, 3. In computer science, mappings are often used in databases and programming. They can define how data is organized and accessed, such as in key-value pairs in a dictionary or hash table. This organization allows for efficient data retrieval and manipulation.