Fractal
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A fractal is a design which contains in detail a shape which looks like the whole.
The fractal nature of some plants has convinced many people that God must have designed the natural world (see ferns).[Citation Needed] The leaves of a fern are shaped very much like the frond.
- Fractals were first named and described 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