Mandelbrot set
Quick Summary
During the late 20th century, Polish mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot helped popularize the fractal that bears his name. The fundamental set contains all complex numbers C such that the iterative equation Zn + 1 = Zn2 + C stays finite for all n starting with Z0 = 0. As shown here, the set of points that remain finite through all iterations is white, with darker colours showing how quickly other values diverge to infinity. The fractal edge between points that remain finite and those that diverge to infinity is extremely complicated, with self-repeating features that can be seen at all scales.
The Mandelbrot set is a complex mathematical object that visually resembles a series of heart-shaped disks with smaller disks attached. It is defined by a recursive expression: (z_{n+1} = z_n^2 + c), where (z_0 = 0). The set includes all points (c) in the complex plane for which this expression remains bounded as (n) approaches infinity.1
Coined by mathematician Benoit B. Mandelbrot, the term "fractal" describes complex geometric shapes with "fractional dimension". The Mandelbrot set is a prime example of a fractal, exhibiting self-similarity, meaning smaller parts of the set resemble the whole. This property, along with its intricate detail, has made it a significant subject in mathematics and computer graphics, used to model various natural phenomena.23
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.