By Jeanne Lazzarini, Math Master Educator/R&D Specialist, RAFT How does math relate to real life? One way is to take a look at the shape of a cloud, a mountain, a coastline, or a tree! You might be surprised to find that many patterns in nature, called fractals, including growth patterns, have very peculiar mathematical properties --- even though these natural shapes are not perfect spheres, circles, cones, triangles, or even straight lines! 3D Fractals For Inspiration So, what is a fractal? Benoit Mandelbrot (November 20, 1924 – October 14, 2010) is commonly called the father of fractals. He created the term “fractal” to describe curves, surfaces and objects that have some very peculiar properties. A fractal is a geometric shape which is both self-similar and has fractional dimension. Daydreaming fractals Ok, so what does that mean? Well, “self-similar” means that when you magnify an object, each of...
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