Difference between revisions of "Fractal"
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[[Image:Fractal.jpg|The delicate tracery of a computer-generated fractal|right|thumb|250px]] | [[Image:Fractal.jpg|The delicate tracery of a computer-generated fractal|right|thumb|250px]] | ||
| − | A '''fractal''' is a [[design]] which contains in detail a shape which looks like the whole. This can be repeated ''ad infinitum'', meaning that fractals do not cease in their similarity. | + | A '''fractal''' is a [[design]] which contains in detail a shape which looks like the whole. This can be repeated ''ad infinitum'', meaning that fractals do not cease in their [[similarity]]. |
The fractal nature of some plants has convinced many people that God must have designed the natural world (see [[fern]]s). The leaves of a fern are shaped very much like the frond. Evolutionary biologists have yet to propose a satisfactory explanation for the spontaneous appearance of complex patterns in living organisms. | The fractal nature of some plants has convinced many people that God must have designed the natural world (see [[fern]]s). The leaves of a fern are shaped very much like the frond. Evolutionary biologists have yet to propose a satisfactory explanation for the spontaneous appearance of complex patterns in living organisms. | ||
Revision as of 15:18, March 2, 2009
A fractal is a design which contains in detail a shape which looks like the whole. This can be repeated ad infinitum, meaning that fractals do not cease in their similarity.
The fractal nature of some plants has convinced many people that God must have designed the natural world (see ferns). The leaves of a fern are shaped very much like the frond. Evolutionary biologists have yet to propose a satisfactory explanation for the spontaneous appearance of complex patterns in living organisms.
- Fractals have been studied by mathematicians for over a century. The name was coined by Benoit Mandelbrot, a mathematician at Yale University. He calls fractals the "geometry of nature." [1]
Damien Jones wrote:
- A fractal is a shape that, when you look at a small part of it, has a similar (but not necessarily identical) appearance to the full shape. Take, for example, a rocky mountain. From a distance, you can see how rocky it is; up close, the surface is very similar. Little rocks have a similar bumpy surface to big rocks and to the overall mountain. [2]
References
External links
- Ask Dr. Universe - Washington State University
- Fractal fronds
- Fractals, in Layman's Terms