Ever wondered how a simple rule can create infinite complexity?
Benoit Mandelbrot
Ever wondered how a simple rule can create infinite complexity?
Imagine you're drawing a snowflake pattern that keeps repeating smaller versions of itself as you zoom in. You start with a simple shape and keep adding smaller shapes around it.
This process shows how simple rules can lead to complex patterns, a concept known as fractal geometry. The repeating shapes at every scale are a hallmark of fractals.
Example
Starting with a triangle, you add smaller triangles to each side. As you zoom in, you see more triangles, each smaller but similar to the whole.
Remember this
Fractal geometry, like the Mandelbrot set, illustrates how simple rules can generate intricate patterns that are self-similar at every scale.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related concepts
Henri Poincaré
Ever wondered why some chaotic systems behave predictably?
The Da Vinci Code (film)
Fibonacci sequence uncovers hidden patterns in nature
Alan Turing: The Enigma
Ever wondered why computers can't solve every problem?
Glossary of engineering: M–Z
Can calculus functions flip between smooth and abrupt?
Golden ratio
Did you know math shapes our world?
Mandelbrot set
Ever wondered why some shapes never look the same no matter how much you zoom in?
Swipe through more Literature concepts
Open Pocket Polymath