RIP Mandelbrot, Father of Fractals

Mandelbrot set” may sound like complicated math. But many of us already recognize these sets as “fractals” — a term that Dr. Mandelbrot coined.

I remember reading about the Mandelbrot set in college. I didn’t realize at the time that Mandelbrot was still alive. Then as I read the New York Times today I came across his obituary. Turns out he passed away last week.

If you want to learn more, check out PBS NOVA’s useful and simple primer on the mathematical underpinnings. And even if you don’t want to dive into the math, you can always enjoy cool pictures of fractals.

Thanks, Dr. Mandelbrot.

>> Link: BenoĆ®t Mandelbrot, Novel Mathematician, Dies at 85 – Obituary Obit – NYTimes.com

>> Link: NOVA | Hunting the Hidden Dimension | The Most Famous Fractal | PBS

***UPDATE: A nice obituary from The Economist

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