The Wronskian is a determinant used in mathematics, particularly in the study of differential equations. It helps determine whether a set of functions is linearly independent. If the Wronskian of a set of functions is non-zero at some point, it indicates that the functions do not express one another as linear combinations. To compute the Wronskian, you arrange the functions and their derivatives in a matrix and then calculate the determinant of that matrix. The concept is named after the Polish mathematician Juliusz Wróblewski, who contributed to the field of differential equations.