Mandelbrot Set
Benoît Mandelbrot; earlier work by Robert Brooks and Peter Matelski
A simple iteration creates a boundary with extraordinary detail.
Fractals & infinity / 1960s
Heighway Dragon
Repeated right-angle turns fold a simple line into a complex shape.
TRY THIS
Trace a stretch of the line and watch how the same turning pattern reappears at larger scales.
THE IMAGE IN THIS ARCHIVE
Alexis Monnerot-Dumaine
Original file & attribution · CC BY-SA 3.0
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Download imageFrequently asked questions
What is Heighway Dragon?
Repeated right-angle turns fold a simple line into a complex shape.
What should I look for in Heighway Dragon?
Trace a stretch of the line and watch how the same turning pattern reappears at larger scales.
What explains Heighway Dragon?
A recursive sequence of left and right turns produces a curve with interlocking structure. Different drawings show different finite stages of the construction.
Another way to see it
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Julia Set
Gaston Julia and Pierre Fatou
Repeated complex mappings produce intricate connected shapes or dust-like sets.
