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mathematics, graphics 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).
real-world objects that do not have simple geometric shapes,
such as clouds, mountains, turbulence, and coastlines.
coined the term "fractal" in 1975 from the Latin fractus or
"to break". He defines a fractal as a set for which the
this definition as it excludes sets one would consider
fractals.
["The Fractal Geometry of Nature", Benoit Mandelbrot].
[Are there non-self-similar fractals?]
(1997-07-02)