Thinking in Patterns: Fractals and Related Phenomena in Nature

Thinking in Patterns: Fractals and Related Phenomena in Nature




Fractal geometry, together with the broader fields of nonlinear dynamics and complexity, represented a large segment of modern science at the end of the 20th century. Penetration of the resulting new paradigms into practically all academic disciplines has confirmed the fundamental assertion of universal formalism common to a wide range of human endeavors.
This book contains an extended article by B B Mandelbrot, reviewing his contribution to fractal geometry and outlining some unsolved problems, with illustrations especially of finance and physics. It covers a range of multidisciplinary topics ?from the biology of aging, through the self-similar shape of plants, image decompression and solar magnetic fields, to sound reflection in the street. The book is a treasure trove for innovative researchers working in fields related to fractal geometry.