A unique new guide to the chaos of the natural world and the
mathematics of fractals for anyone who has ever wanted to understand the
patterns in leaves or the creation of snowflakes.
2,000 years ago Euclid of Alexandria devised a strategy for measuring
and mapping the world using spheres, cones, circles, and straight lines.
His modeling allowed for the invention of geometry and the theories of
Isaac Newton and influenced subjects as varied as economics and ethics.
But Euclid's neat solutions belied much of natural reality, and as
technologies like satellite navigation were developed, scientists needed
to find a more precise way to measure forms that didn't follow straight
lines or easily measured curves. The solution, discovered in 1982, was
fractals.
In this beautifully illustrated book, fractal-hunter Oliver Linton takes
us on a fascinating journey into the mathematics of fractals, diving
into everything from coastlines to carpets to reveal some of the most
recently discovered and intriguing patterns in science and nature.