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fractal

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fractal

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  fractal 
  n  :  a  geometric  pattern  that  is  repeated  at  every  scale  and  so 
  cannot  be  represented  by  classical  geometry 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  fractal 
 
    A  fractal  is  a  rough  or  fragmented 
  geometric  shape  that  can  be  subdivided  in  parts  each  of  which 
  is  (at  least  approximately)  a  smaller  copy  of  the  whole. 
  Fractals  are  generally  self-similar  (bits  look  like  the  whole) 
  and  independent  of  scale  (they  look  similar,  no  matter  how 
  close  you  zoom  in). 
 
  Many  mathematical  structures  are  fractals;  e.g.  {Sierpinski 
  triangle},  {Koch  snowflake},  {Peano  curve},  {Mandelbrot  set} 
  and  {Lorenz  attractor}.  Fractals  also  describe  many 
  real-world  objects  that  do  not  have  simple  geometric  shapes, 
  such  as  clouds,  mountains,  turbulence,  and  coastlines. 
 
  {Benoit  Mandelbrot},  the  discoverer  of  the  {Mandelbrot  set}, 
  coined  the  term  fractal"  in  1975  from  the  Latin  fractus  or 
  "to  break".  He  defines  a  fractal  as  a  set  for  which  the 
  {Hausdorff  Besicovich  dimension}  strictly  exceeds  the 
  {topological  dimension}.  However,  he  is  not  satisfied  with 
  this  definition  as  it  excludes  sets  one  would  consider 
  fractals. 
 
  {sci.fractals  FAQ 
  (ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/usenet/usenet-by-group/sci.fractals/)}. 
 
  See  also  {fractal  compression},  {fractal  dimension},  {Iterated 
  Function  System}. 
 
  {Usenet}  newsgroups:  {news:sci.fractals}, 
  {news:alt.binaries.pictures.fractals},  {news:comp.graphics}. 
 
  ["The  Fractal  Geometry  of  Nature",  Benoit  Mandelbrot]. 
 
  [Are  there  non-self-similar  fractals?] 
 
  (1997-07-02)




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