Fractal

2 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  fractal
       n : (mathematics) 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 (27 SEP 03) [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)