History of Fractals

Fractals - The Beginning

The history of fractals dates back to 1975, when Fractals were discovered by Benoît Mandelbrot. Well, maybe not discovered, but finally put into words. He explained them as being geometric shapes that when divided into parts, each part would be a smaller replica of the whole shape. He came up with the term “Fractal” as the new scientific term for this mathematical expression. The word is actually an adaptation of the Latin word fractus. The latin word fractus means “broken” or “fractured”. The concepts behind fractals had been around for centuries but it was not until Mandelbrot had his realization that these great mathematical masterpieces were discovered. Fractals can also be found in nature, which is where Benoît’s first research began. His investigational report, “How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension”, was the first step in his eventual discovery of fractals.

Mandlebrot Fractals

Mandlebrot fractals were discovered first, so they were the most well known fractals. Benoît is now known as the “father” of fractal geometry, so they remain the most popular today. Their shape is similar to a turtle with many legs and very large head. There are programs available that allow you to layer several “brots” as they are called normally as a single image. This creates a great spectacle for the eyes as fractals converge together to create amazing designs. Known as “brots” in the fractal community, you will find many designs in our Mandlebrot fractal gallery.

Julia Fractals

Julia Fractals were discovered by Gaston Julia and praised by Mandlebrot after his discovery. Julia’s principle’s were close to the findings of another great mathematician of that era, Pierre Fatou. They spent a great deal of time working together to come up with what is known as the, Generalized Fatou Julia theorem. Motiv Designs is a big fan of Juilia fractals and will be showing you just how interesting fractal art can be with the Julia set. Check back frequently for updates to the Julia fractals gallery.

Newton Fractals

Newton Fractals were derived from “Isaac Newton’s method”. They create a totally different look than most fractal sets. Newton fractals are just proof that Isaac Newton was a great mathematician for his time. We highlight many Newton fractals in our gallery. They have a very crisp and clean look to their geometric shape. Keep your eyes peeled for new additions to the Newton fractals gallery.