Difference between revisions of "Fractal"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m |
m ("ad infinitum" was misspelled) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[Image:SsFb.gif|A computer generated image of a leaf.|right|thumb]] | [[Image:SsFb.gif|A computer generated image of a leaf.|right|thumb]] | ||
| − | A '''fractal''' is a [[design]] which contains in detail a shape which looks like the whole. This can be repeated '' | + | 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. | 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. | ||
Revision as of 17:49, January 18, 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.
- 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]
External links
- Ask Dr. Universe - Washington State University
- Fractal fronds
- Fractals, in Layman's Terms