Fraktale Geometrie der Natur

by Benoit B. Mandelbrot

Other authorsUlrich Zähle (Translator), Reinhilt Zähle (Translator)
Paperback, 1991

Status

Available

Call number

UG 3900 M271

Collection

Publication

Birkhäuser (1991), Edition: 1St Edition

Description

The Essential Guide that Introduced Fractals to the WorldExplore the wondrously complex repeating shapes of the natural world in The Fractal Geometry of Nature. Written in a style that is accessible to a wide audience, computer scientist, professor, mathematician, economist, and visionary Benoit B Mandelbrot's fascinating work has inspired popular interest in the geometry inherent in the natural world.Unlike the squares, circles, spheres, and cones of fundamental geometry, nature has rough edges and no straight lines or perfect curves. Mandelbrot observed that, even with this roughness, there still exists a kind of symmetry, which he dedicated his work to document and study. This became the basis for his development of a new kind of geometry; indeed, he coined the term "fractal."Mandelbrot spent 35 years with IBM, which allowed him access to the level of computing power that would enable him to manipulate computer-generated images and develop his theory of a geometry found throughout our natural environment. He was among the first to use computer graphics to illustrate and test these kinds of concepts, demonstrating that natural phenomena which appear to be rough or chaotic actually have a certain degree of order and predictability. This definitive overview builds on Mandelbrot's 1977 work, Fractals: Form, Chance and Dimension (also published by Echo Point Books), revealing an in depth look at this still-emerging field. Richly illustrated and presented in an engaging manner which embraces geometric and visual dimensions interspersed with aspects of theory, this book will inspire curiosity and wonder in artists, mathematicians and naturalists alike.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member FlyByPC
Well, it's a classic -- and Mandelbrot's idea of "fractals" is certainly a powerful one. I just wish he had decided to work with a co-author on this one. James Gleick and Ivars Peterson do a much better job of describing the science of fractals, IMHO. Kudos to Dr. Mandelbrot for discovering this
Show More
new world, though!
Show Less
LibraryThing member prosfilaes
I read this in high school, and finally picked up a copy many years later when I wandered across it in a used bookstore. To be honest, though, this is one of the books that sits on my shelf because a mathematician has to have a copy of it, not because it is of any interest to me. There's too much
Show More
fluff and belaboring here, and not enough clear explanation. For example, there is a color plate of a computer-generated planet, but no explanation of how it was created. "We can do this", but not much "here's how this is done." It left me frustrated in high school, and looking through it since then has done nothing to improve my opinion.
Show Less

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1977

Physical description

491 p.

ISBN

3764326468 / 9783764326463
Page: 0.1581 seconds