fractal

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

$Mandelbrot setDuring the late 20th century, Polish mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot helped popularize the fractal that bears his name. The fundamental set contains all complex numbers C such that the iterative equation Zn + 1 = Zn2 + C stays finite for all n starting with Z0 = 0. As shown here, the set of points that remain finite through all iterations is white, with darker colours showing how quickly other values diverge to infinity. The fractal edge between points that remain finite and those that diverge to infinity is extremely complicated, with self-repeating features that can be seen at all scales.$ $Sierpiński gasketPolish mathematician Wacław Sierpiński described the fractal that bears his name in 1915, although the design as an art motif dates at least to 13th-century Italy. Begin with a solid equilateral triangle, and remove the triangle formed by connecting the midpoints of each side. The midpoints of the sides of the resulting three internal triangles are connected to form three new triangles that are then removed to form nine smaller internal triangles. The process of cutting away triangular pieces continues indefinitely, producing a region with a Hausdorf dimension of a bit more than 1.5 (indicating that it is more than a one-dimensional figure but less than a two-dimensional figure).$

fractal

mathematics

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 6, 2024 • Article History

Key People:: Benoit Mandelbrot; Wacław Sierpiński; Gaston Maurice Julia

Related Topics:: Sierpiński gasket; Mandelbrot set; Julia set; fractal dimension; fractal curve

On the Web:: Cornell University - Department of Mathematics - An Introduction to Dimension Theory and Fractal Geometry GEOMETRY: Fractal Dimension and Measure (Dec. 06, 2024)

See all related content

fractal, in mathematics, any of a class of complex geometric shapes that commonly have “fractional dimension,” a concept first introduced by the mathematician Felix Hausdorff in 1918. Fractals are distinct from the simple figures of classical, or Euclidean, geometry—the square, the circle, the sphere, and so forth. They are capable of describing many irregularly shaped objects or spatially nonuniform phenomena in nature such as coastlines and mountain ranges. The term fractal, derived from the Latin word fractus (“fragmented,” or “broken”), was coined by the Polish-born mathematician Benoit B. Mandelbrot. See the animation of the Mandelbrot fractal set. Although the key ...(100 of 612 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.