A zoom sequence illustrating the
set of
complex numbers termed the
Mandelbrot set. Images of the set, which was defined and named by
Adrien Douady in tribute to the mathematician
Benoit Mandelbrot, may be created by sampling the complex numbers and determining whether the result of iterating for each sample point
goes to infinity. Images exhibit an elaborate and infinitely complicated
boundary that reveals progressively ever-finer
recursive detail at increasing magnifications. Consequently, the Mandelbrot set has become popular outside mathematics both for its aesthetic appeal and as an example of a complex structure arising from the application of simple rules.
Animation: Simpsons contributor