Explanation:
AES is a symmetric encryption standard established by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is widely used for securing sensitive information due to its efficiency and robustness.

AES operates on fixed block sizes of 128 bits and supports key lengths of 128, 192, and 256 bits. The algorithm performs multiple rounds of substitution, permutation, and key addition to encrypt data.

AES is commonly employed in secure communications, disk encryption, file protection, and government applications due to its strong security guarantees.

Additional Information:
AES has replaced older standards like DES due to its superior security and performance. It is resistant to all known cryptographic attacks, including brute force.

The algorithm’s efficiency makes it suitable for software and hardware implementations alike, and it remains a critical component of modern cryptographic systems.

Formal Definition:
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric block cipher encryption algorithm that encrypts data in fixed-size blocks using key lengths of 128, 192, or 256 bits, ensuring secure data communication.