About Fractals

Put simply, a fractal is a complex mathematically-defined image that is infinitely large and has an infinite amount of detail. The term "fractal", coined in 1975 by mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot, is derived from the Latin fractus, meaning "fractured".

Fractals are "self-similar": that is, they appear similar at different levels of magnification. Perhaps the best known fractal is the Mandelbrot set, illustrated below under different magnifications:

Despite being defined by simple equations, many fractals are visually stunning. However, creating fractals as computer art can be a shot in the dark, as the mathematics involved in predicting the output of different equations is very complex. The fractals displayed on this website have been carefully selected from thousands of images and have been the result of many days work. Although some are variations using a single formula, every fractal is completely unique and every one is beautiful in its own way.