1108 lines
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1108 lines
50 KiB
Plaintext
Newsgroups: sci.fractals,news.answers
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Subject: Fractal FAQ
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From: shirriff@sprite.berkeley.edu (Ken Shirriff)
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Date: 18 Jan 1993 22:58:17 GMT
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Organization: University of California, Berkeley
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Message-ID: <fractal-faq_727397981@sprite.Berkeley.EDU>
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Summary: Fractal software, algorithms, definitions, and references.
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Keywords: fractals, chaos, Mandelbrot
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Lines: 1097
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Archive-name: fractal-faq
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Last-modified: January 18, 1993
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This file is a frequently asked questions file for sci.fractals. The purpose
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of this file is to collect common fractal questions and answers into a con-
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venient file. This file is normally posted about every two weeks.
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Like most FAQs, the most recent copy of this FAQ is archived at various places
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such as pit-manager.mit.edu [18.72.1.58]: /pub/usenet/news.answers/fractal-faq
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and ftp.uu.net [137.39.1.9 or 192.48.96.9]: /usenet/news.answers/fractal-
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faq.Z.
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I am happy to receive more information to add to this file. Also, if you can
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correct mistakes you find, let me know.
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Please send additions, comments, errors, etc. to Ken Shirriff
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(shirriff@sprite.Berkeley.EDU).
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This file is Copyright 1993 Ken Shirriff. Permission is given for non-profit
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distribution of this file, as long as my name remains attached. However, I
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would like to be informed if you distribute this file on other systems, so I
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have an idea of where it is.
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Updated questions are marked with an asterisk. The questions which are
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answered are:
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Q1a: What is fractint?
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Q1b: How does fractint achieve its speed?
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Q2a: Where can I obtain software packages to generate fractals?
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Q2b: Where can I obtain fractal papers?
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Q3: Where can I get fractal T-shirts and posters?
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Q4a: How does anonymous ftp work?
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Q4b: What if I can't use ftp to access files?
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Q5: Where is alt.fractals.pictures archived?
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Q6: I want to learn about fractals. What should I read first?
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Q7a: What is the Mandelbrot set?
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Q7b: How is the Mandelbrot set actually computed?
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Q7c: Why do you start with z=0?
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Q7d: What are the bounds of the Mandelbrot set? When does it diverge?
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Q7e: How can I speed up Mandelbrot set generation?
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Q7f: What is the area of the Mandelbrot set?
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Q7g: What can you say about the structure of the Mandelbrot set?
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Q7h: Is the Mandelbrot set connected?
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Q8a: What is the difference between the Mandelbrot set and a Julia set?
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Q8b: What is the connection between the Mandelbrot set and Julia sets?
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Q8c: How is a Julia set actually computed?
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Q8d: What are some Julia set facts?
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Q9a: How does complex arithmetic work?
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Q9b: How does quaternion arithmetic work?
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Q10a: What is an iterated function system (IFS)?
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Q10b: What is the state of fractal compression?
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Q11a: How can you make a chaotic oscillator?
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Q11b: What are laboratory demonstrations of chaos?
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Q12: How are fractal mountains generated?
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Q13: What are plasma clouds?
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Q14a: Where are the popular periodically-forced Lyapunov fractals described?
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Q14b: What are Lyapunov exponents?
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Q14c: How can Lyapunov exponents be calculated?
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Q15: What is the logistic equation?
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Q16: What is chaos?
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Q17: What is nonlinearity? What are nonlinear equations?
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Q18: What is a fractal? What are some examples of fractals?
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Q19a: What is fractal dimension? How is it calculated?
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Q19b: What is topological dimension?
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Q20: What is a strange attractor?
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Q21: How can I join the BITNET fractal discussion?
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Q22: How can 3-D fractals be generated?
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Q23: What are some general references on fractals and chaos?
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You can search for the question you're interested in in "rn" or "trn" using
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"g^Q11" (that's lower-case g, up-arrow, Q, and a number) where "11" is the
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question you wish. Or you may browse forward using <control-G> to search for
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a Subject: line.
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Questions and answers
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------------------------------
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Subject: Fractint
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Q1a: What is fractint?
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A1a: Fractint is a very popular freeware (not public domain) fractal genera-
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tor. There are DOS, Windows, OS/2, and Unix/X versions. The DOS version is
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the original version, and is the most up-to-date. The Unix version is still
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slightly buggy.
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Please note: sci.fractals is not a product support newsgroup for fractint.
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Bugs in fractint/xfractint should usually go to the authors rather than being
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posted.
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Fractint is on many ftp sites. For example:
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DOS: ftp to wuarchive.wustl.edu [128.252.135.4]. The source is in the file
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/mirrors/msdos/graphics/frasr172.zip. The executable is in the file
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/mirrors/msdos/graphics/frain172.zip.
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Windows: ftp to wuarchive.wustl.edu. The source is in the file
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/mirrors/msdos/windows3/winsr173.zip. The executable is in the file
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/mirrors/msdos/windows3/winfr173.zip.
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OS/2: available on Compuserve in its GRAPHDEV forum. The files are PM*.ZIP.
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These files are also available from ftp-os2.nmsu.edu in
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/pub/os2/pmfract.zoo, and from hobbes.nmsu.edu.
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Unix: ftp to sprite.berkeley.edu [128.32.150.27]. The source is in the file
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xfract108.shar.Z. Note: sprite is an unreliable machine; if you can't
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connect to it, try again in a few hours, or try hijack.berkeley.edu.
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Macintosh: there is no Macintosh version of fractint, although there are
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several people working on a port. It is possible to run fractint on the
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Macintosh if you use Insignia Software's SoftAT, which is a PC AT emula-
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tor.
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For European users, these files are available from ftp.uni-koeln.de. If you
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can't use ftp, see the mail server info in Q3.
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Q1b: How does fractint achieve its speed?
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A1b: Fractint's speed (such as it is) is due to a combination of:
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1. using fixed point math rather than floating point where possible (huge im-
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provement for non-coprocessor machine, small for 486's).
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2. exploiting symmetry of fractal.
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3. detecting nearly repeating orbits, avoid useless iteration (e.g. repeatedly
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iterating 0^2+0 etc. etc.).
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4. reducing computation by guessing solid areas (especially the "lake" area).
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5. using hand-coded assembler in many places.
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6. obtaining both sin and cos from one 387 math coprocessor instruction.
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7. using good direct memory graphics writing in 256-color modes.
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The first four are probably the most important. Some of these introduce er-
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rors, usually quite acceptable.
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------------------------------
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Subject: Other fractal software
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Q2a: Where can I obtain software packages to generate fractals?
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A2a:
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For X windows:
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xmntns and xlmntn: these generate fractal mountains. They can be obtained
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from ftp.uu.net [137.39.1.9] in the directory
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/usenet/comp.sources.x/volume8/xmntns.
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xfroot: generates a fractal root window.
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xmartin: generates a Martin hopalong root window.
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xmandel: generates Mandelbrot/Julia sets.
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xfroot, xmartin, xmandel are part of the X11 distribution.
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lyap: generates Lyapunov exponent images. Ftp from: ftp.uu.net in
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/usenet/comp.sources.x/volume16/lyap.
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spider: Uses Thurston's algorithm for computing postcritically finite po-
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lynomials, draws Mandelbrot and Julia sets using the Koebe algorithm,
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and draws Julia set external angles. Ftp from: lyapunov.ucsd.edu in
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pub/inls-ucsd/spider.
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Distributed X systems:
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MandelSpawn: computes Mandelbrot/Julia sets on a network of machines. Ftp
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from: export.lcs.mit.edu [18.24.0.12]: /contrib/mandelspawn-0.06.tar.Z
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or funic.funet.fi[128.214.6.100]: /pub/X11/contrib/mandelspawn-
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0.06.tar.Z.
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gnumandel: computes Mandelbrot images on a network. Ftp from:
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informatik.tu-muenchen.de [131.159.0.110] in /pub/GNU/gnumandel.
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For Unix/C:
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lsys: generates L-systems as PostScript or other textual output. No graph-
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ical interface at present. (in C++) Ftp from: ftp.cs.unc.edu in
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pub/lsys.tar.Z.
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lyapunov: generates PGM Lyapunov exponent images. Ftp from: ftp.uu.net in
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/usenet/comp.sources.misc/volume23/lyapuov. SPD: contains generators
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for fractal mountain, tree, recursive tetrahedron. Ftp from:
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princeton.edu [128.112.128.1] in /pub/Graphics.
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For Mac:
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fractal, L-System, 3DL-System, IFS, FracHill are available from
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ftphost.aukuni.ac.nz [130.216.1.5] in the architec directory.
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fractal-wizard-15.hqx, julias-dream-107.hqx, mandel-net.hqx, mandel-zot-
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304.hqx, and mandella-70.hqx are available from sumex.stanford.edu in
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/info-mac/app.
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mandel-tv: a very fast Mandelbrot generator. Ftp from: oswego.oswego.edu
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[129.3.1.1] in /pub/mac/da/mandel-tv.hqx.
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There are also commercial programs, such as IFS Explorer and Fractal Clip
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Art, which are published by Koyn Software (314) 878-9125.
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For NeXT:
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Lyapunov: generates Lyapunov exponent images. Ftp from:
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nova.cc.purdue.edu in /pub/next/2.0-release/source.
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For MSDOS:
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Fractal WitchCraft: a very fast fractal design program. Ftp from:
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garbo.uwasa.fi [128.214.87.1] in /pc/demo/fw1-08.zip.
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CAL: generates more than 15 types of fractals including Mandelbrot,
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Lyapunov, IFS, user-defined formulas, logistic equation, and quatern-
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ion julia sets. Ftp from: oak.oakland.edu [141.210.10.117] (or any
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other Simtel mirror) in pub/msdos/graphics/frcal035.zip.
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Fractal Discovery Laboratory: designed for use in a science museum or
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school setting. The Lab has five sections: Art Gallery ( 72 images --
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Mandelbrots, Julias, Lyapunovs), Microscope ( 85 images -- Biomorph,
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Mandelbrot, Lyapunov, ...), Movies (165 images, 6 "movies": Mandel-
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brot Evolution, Splitting a Mini-Mandelbrot, Fractal UFO, ...), Tools
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(Gingerbreadman, Lorentz Equations, Fractal Ferns, von Koch Snowflake,
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Sierpinski Gasket), and Library (Dictionary, Books and Articles).
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Sampler available from Compuserver GRAPHDEV Lib 4 in DISCOV.ZIP, or
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send high-density disk and self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Earl
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F. Glynn, 10808 West 105th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66214-3057.
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There are a whole bunch of fractal programs available from wsmr-
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simtel20.army.mil [192.88.110.20] in the directory "pd1:<msdos.graphics>":
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forb01a.zip: Displays orbits of Mandelbrot mapping. C/E/VGA
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fract30.arc: Mandelbrot/Julia set 2D/3D EGA/VGA Fractal Gen
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fractfly.zip: Create Fractal flythroughs with FRACTINT
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frain172.zip: FRACTINT v17.2 EGA/VGA/XGA fractal generator
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frasr172.zip: C & ASM src for FRACTINT v17.2 fractal gen.
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frcal030.zip: Fractal drawing program: 15 formulae available
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frcaldmo.zip: 800x600x256 demo images for FRCAL030.ZIP
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frpor172.zip: Xfract-compatible Fractint 17.2 source
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fdesign.zip: Program to visually design IFS fractals
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For Amiga: (all entries marked "ff###" are .lzh files in the Fish Disk set
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available at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu and other sites in /amiga/fish)
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General Mandelbrot generators with many features: Mandelbrot (ff030), Man-
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del (ff218), Mandelbrot (ff239), TurboMandel (ff302), MandelBltiz
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(ff387), SMan (ff447), MandelMountains (ff383, in 3-D), MandelPAUG
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(ff452, MandFXP movies), MandAnim (ff461, anims), ApfelKiste (ff566,
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very fast), MandelSquare (ff588, anims)
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Mandelbrot and Julia sets generators: MandelVroom (ff215), Fractals
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(ff371, also Newton-R and other sets)
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With different algorithmic approaches (shown): FastGro (ff188, DLA),
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IceFrac (ff303, DLA), DEM (ff303, DEM), CPM (ff303, CPM in 3-D), Frac-
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talLab (ff391, any equation)
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Iterated Function System generators (make ferns, etc): FracGen (ff188,
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uses "seeds"), FCS (ff465), IFSgen (ff554), IFSLab (ff696, "Collage
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Theorem")
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Unique fractal types: Cloud (ff216, cloud surfaces), Fractal (ff052, ter-
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rain), IMandelVroom (strange attractor contours?), Landscape (ff554,
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scenery), Scenery (ff155, scenery), Plasma (ff573, plasma clouds)
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Fractal generators (I do not know their features): PolyFractals (ff015),
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FFEX (ff549)
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Lyapunov fractals: Ftp /pub/aminet/new/lyapunovia.lha from ftp.luth.se.
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Commercial packages: Fractal Pro 5.0, Scenery Animator 2.0, Vista Profes-
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sional
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Please inform me of any other programs you know of.
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Q2b: Where can I obtain fractal papers?
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A2b: There are several sites with fractal papers:
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There is an archive site for preprints and programs on nonlinear dynamics and
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related subjects at lyapunov.ucsd.edu [132.239.86.10]. There are also arti-
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cles on dynamics, including the IMS preprint series, available from
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math.sunysb.edu [129.49.31.57].
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A collection of short papers on fractal formulas, drawing methods, and
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transforms is available from ftp.coe.montana.edu in /pub/fractals.
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------------------------------
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Subject: Fractal items
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Q3: Where can I get fractal T-shirts and posters?
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A3: One source is Art Matrix, P.O. box 880, Ithaca, New York, 14851, 1-800-
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PAX-DUTY. Another source is Media Magic; they sell many fractal posters,
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calendars, videos, software, t-shirts, ties, and a huge variety of books on
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fractals, chaos, graphics, etc. Media Magic is at PO Box 598 Nicasio, CA
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94946, 415-662-2426.
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------------------------------
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Subject: Ftp questions
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Q4a: How does anonymous ftp work?
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A4a: Anoynmous ftp is a method of making files available to anyone on the In-
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ternet. In brief, if you are on a system with ftp (e.g. Unix), you type "ftp
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lyapunov.ucsd.edu", or whatever system you wish to access. You are prompted
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for your name and you reply "anonymous". You are prompted for your password
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and you reply with your email address. You then use "ls" to list the files,
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"cd" to change directories, "get" to get files, and "quit" to exit. For exam-
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ple, you could say "cd /pub", "ls", "get README", and "quit"; this would get
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you the file "README".
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Q4b: What if I can't use ftp to access files?
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A4b: If you don't have access to ftp because you are on a uucp/Fidonet/etc
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network there is an e-mail gateway at ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com that can retrieve
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the files for you. To get instructions on how to use the ftp gateway send a
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blank message to ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com with one line containing the word
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'help'.
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This is a sample message of how to retrieve xfractint from
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sprite.Berkeley.EDU:
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% mail ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com
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Subject: <ignored>
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reply <yourname>@<yoursite>
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connect sprite.berkeley.edu anonymous
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dir /* note: you can give a pathname here to list */
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binary
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uuencode /* note: this command is optional and the default is btoa */
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get xfract108.shar.Z
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quit
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That would retrieve a directory of the archive, then xfract108.shar.Z. Note
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that the dir command is important to learn if the filename has changed. To
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receive xfract108.shar.Z, you must set the server to "binary" mode because the
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file is compressed. Compressed files are then either sent out uuencoded or
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btoa'd. So, you must obtain copies of the programs will receive. (Most Unix
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systems have uudecode and uncompress.) Ask your local computer guru for cla-
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rification on how to do this.
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------------------------------
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Subject: Archived pictures
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Q5: Where is alt.fractals.pictures archived?
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A5: Alt.fractals.pictures is the newsgroup for fractal images (GIFs, etc.).
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The pictures are available via anonymous ftp from csus.edu [130.86.90.1] in
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/pub/alt.fractals.pictures.
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------------------------------
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Subject: Learning about fractals
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Q6: I want to learn about fractals. What should I read first?
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A6: There is a book list at the end. _Chaos_ is a good book to get a general
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overview and history. _Fractals Everywhere_ is a textbook on fractals that
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describes what fractals are and how to generate them, but it requires knowing
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intermediate analysis. _Chaos, Fractals, and Dynamics_ is also a good start.
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------------------------------
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Subject: The Mandelbrot set
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Q7a: What is the Mandelbrot set?
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A7a: The Mandelbrot set is the set of all complex c such that iterating z ->
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z^2+c does not go to infinity (starting with z=0).
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Q7b: How is the Mandelbrot set actually computed?
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A7b: The basic algorithm is:
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For each pixel c, start with z=0. Repeat z=z^2+c up to N times, exiting if
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the magnitude of z gets large.
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If you finish the loop, the point is probably inside the Mandelbrot set. If
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you exit, the point is outside and can be colored according to how many
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iterating were completed. You can exit if |z|>2, since if z gets this big it
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will go to infinity. The maximum number of iterations, N, can be selected as
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desired, for instance 100. Larger N will give sharper detail but take longer.
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Q7c: Why do you start with z=0?
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A7c: Zero is the critical point of z^2+c, that is, a point where d/dz (z^2+c)
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= 0. If you replace z^2+c with a different function, the starting value will
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have to be modified. E.g. for z->z^2+z+c, the critical point is given by
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2z+1=0, so start with z=-1/2. In some cases, there may be multiple critical
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values, so they all should be tested.
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Critical points are important because by a result of Fatou, every attracting
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cycle for a polynomial or rational function attracts at least one critical
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point. Thus, testing the critical point shows if there is any stable attrac-
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tive cycle. See also:
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[1] M. Frame and J. Robertson, A Generalized Mandelbrot Set and the Role of
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Critical Points, _Computers and Graphics, Vol. 16_ 16, 1 (1992), pp. 35-40.
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Note that you can precompute the first Mandelbrot iteration by starting with
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z=c instead of z=0, since 0^2+c=c.
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Q7d: What are the bounds of the Mandelbrot set? When does it diverge?
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A7d: The Mandelbrot set lies within |c|<=2. If |z| exceeds 2, the z sequence
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diverges. Proof: if |z|>2, then |z^2+c| >= |z^2|-|c| > 2|z|-|c|. If
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|z|>=|c|, then 2|z|-|c| > |z|. So, if |z|>2 and |z|>=c, |z^2+c|>|z|, so the
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sequence diverges. Also, note that z1=c, so if |c|>2, the sequence diverges.
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Q7e: How can I speed up Mandelbrot set generation?
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A7e: See:
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1. R. Rojas, A Tutorial on Efficient Computer Graphic Representations of the
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Mandelbrot Set, _Computers and Graphics_ 15, 1 (1991), pp. 91-100.
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Q7f: What is the area of the Mandelbrot set?
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A7f: Ewing and Schober computed an area estimate using 240,000 terms of the
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Laurent series. The result is 1.7274... The behavior of the approximations
|
|
suggests that the limit is between 1.66 and 1.71. However, the estimates of
|
|
the area from below, using pixel counting, show that the area is at least
|
|
1.52. The large gap between the lower bound 1.52 and the upper bound 1.71 may
|
|
possibly be an indication that the boundary of the Mandelbrot set has positive
|
|
area. Reference:
|
|
|
|
1. J. H. Ewing and G. Schober, The Area of the Mandelbrot Set, _Numer. Math._
|
|
61 (1992), pp. 59-72.
|
|
|
|
Q7g: What can you say about the structure of the Mandelbrot set?
|
|
A7g: Most of what you could want to know is in Branner's article in _Chaos and
|
|
Fractals: The Mathematics Behind the Computer Graphics_.
|
|
|
|
Note that the Mandelbrot set is _not_ self-similar; the tiny copies of the
|
|
Mandelbrot set are all slightly different, mainly because of the thin threads
|
|
connecting them to the main body of the Mandelbrot set. However, the
|
|
Mandelbrot set is quasi-self-similar. Reference:
|
|
|
|
1. T. Lei, Similarity between the Mandelbrot set and Julia Sets,
|
|
_Communications in Mathematical Physics_ 134 (1990), pp. 587-617.
|
|
|
|
The boundary of the Mandelbrot set has Hausdorff dimension 2 and has
|
|
topological dimension 1. (Since the boundary has empty interior, the
|
|
topological dimension is less than 2, and thus is 1.) Reference:
|
|
|
|
1. M. Shishikura, The Hausdorff Dimension of the Boundary of the Mandelbrot
|
|
Set and Julia Sets, It is shown that the boundary of the Mandelbrot set M has
|
|
Hausdorff dimension two and that for a generic c in M, the Julia set of z ->
|
|
z^2+c also has Hausdorff dimension two. The proof is based on the study of
|
|
the bifurcation of parabolic periodic points. The paper is available from
|
|
anonymous ftp to math.sunysb.edu [129.49.18.1] in /preprints/ims91-7.
|
|
|
|
The "external angles" of the Mandelbrot set (see Douady and Hubbard or brief
|
|
sketch in "Beauty of Fractals") induce a Fibonacci partition onto it.
|
|
|
|
Q7h: Is the Mandelbrot set connected?
|
|
A7h: The Mandelbrot set is simply connected. This follows from a theorem of
|
|
Douady and Hubbard that there is a conformal isomorphism from the complement
|
|
of the Mandelbrot set to the complement of the unit disk. (In other words,
|
|
all equipotential curves are simple closed curves.) It is conjectured that the
|
|
Mandlebrot set is locally connected, and thus pathwise connected, but this is
|
|
currently unproved.
|
|
|
|
Connectedness definitions:
|
|
|
|
Connected: X is connected if there are no proper closed subsets A and B of X
|
|
such that A union B = X, but A intersect B is empty. I.e. X is connected if
|
|
it is a single piece.
|
|
|
|
Simply connected: X is simply connected if it is connected and every closed
|
|
curve in X can be deformed in X to some constant closed curve. I.e. X is
|
|
simply connected if it has no holes.
|
|
|
|
Locally connected: X is locally connected if for every point p in X, for every
|
|
open set U containing p, there is an open set V containing p and contained in
|
|
the connected component of p in U. I.e. X is locally connected if every
|
|
connected component of every open subset is open in X.
|
|
|
|
Arcwise (or path) connected: X is arcwise connected if every two points in X
|
|
are joined by an arc in X.
|
|
|
|
(The definitions are from _Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mathematics_.)
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Julia sets
|
|
|
|
Q8a: What is the difference between the Mandelbrot set and a Julia set?
|
|
A8a: The Mandelbrot set iterates z^2+c with z starting at 0 and varying c.
|
|
The Julia set iterates z^2+c for fixed c and varying starting z values. That
|
|
is, the Mandelbrot set is in parameter space (c-plane) while the Julia set is
|
|
in dynamical or variable space (z-plane).
|
|
|
|
Q8b: What is the connection between the Mandelbrot set and Julia sets?
|
|
A8b: Each point c in the Mandelbrot set specifies the geometric structure of
|
|
the corresponding Julia set. If c is in the Mandelbrot set, the Julia set
|
|
will be connected. If c is not in the Mandelbrot set, the Julia set will be a
|
|
Cantor dust.
|
|
|
|
Q8c: How is a Julia set actually computed?
|
|
A8c: The Julia set can be computed by iteration similar to the Mandelbrot
|
|
computation. Alternatively, points on the boundary of the Julia set can be
|
|
computed quickly by using inverse iterations. This technique is particularly
|
|
useful when the Julia set is a Cantor Set.
|
|
|
|
Q8d: What are some Julia set facts?
|
|
A8d: The Julia set of any rational map of degree greater than one is perfect
|
|
(hence in particular uncountable and nonempty), completely invariant, equal to
|
|
the Julia set of any iterate of the function, and also is the boundary of the
|
|
basin of attraction of every attractor for the map. Julia set references:
|
|
|
|
1. A. F. Beardon, _Iteration of Rational Functions : Complex Analytic
|
|
Dynamical Systems_, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1991.
|
|
|
|
2. P. Blanchard, Complex Analytic Dynamics on the Riemann Sphere, _Bull. of
|
|
the Amer. Math. Soc_ 11, 1 (July 1984), pp. 85-141. This article is a
|
|
detailed discussion of the mathematics of iterated complex functions. It
|
|
covers most things about Julia sets of rational polynomial functions.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Complex arithmetic and quaternion arithmetic
|
|
|
|
Q9a: How does complex arithmetic work?
|
|
A9a: It works mostly like regular algebra with a couple additional formulas:
|
|
(note: a,b are reals, x,y are complex, i is the square root of -1)
|
|
Powers of i: i^2 = -1
|
|
Addition: (a+i*b)+(c+i*d) = (a+c)+i*(b+d)
|
|
Multiplication: (a+i*b)*(c+i*d) = a*c-b*d + i*(a*d+b*c)
|
|
Division: (a+i*b)/(c+i*d) = (a+i*b)*(c-i*d)/(c^2+d^2)
|
|
Exponentiation: exp(a+i*b) = exp(a)(cos(b)+i*sin(b))
|
|
Sine: sin(x) = (exp(i*x)-exp(-i*x))/(2*i)
|
|
Cosine: cos(x) = (exp(i*x)+exp(-i*x)/2
|
|
Magnitude: |a+i*b| = sqrt(a^2+b^2)
|
|
Log: log(a+i*b) = log(|a+i*b|)+i*arctan(b/a) (Note: log is multivalued.)
|
|
Complex powers: x^y = exp(y*log(x))
|
|
DeMoivre's theorem: x^a = r^a * [cos(a*theta) + i * sin(a*theta)]
|
|
More details can be found in any complex analysis book.
|
|
|
|
Q9b: How does quaternion arithmetic work?
|
|
A9b: Quaternions have 4 components (a+ib+jc+kd) compared to the two of complex
|
|
numbers. Operations such as addition and multiplication can be performed on
|
|
quaternions, but multiplication is not commutative. Quaternions satisfy the
|
|
rules i^2=j^2=k^2=-1, ij=-ji=k, jk=-kj=i, ki=-ik=j.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Iterated function systems
|
|
|
|
Q10a: What is an iterated function system (IFS)?
|
|
A10a: If a fractal is self-similar, you can specify various mappings that map
|
|
the whole onto the parts. By taking a point and repeatedly applying these
|
|
mappings you end up with a collection of points on the fractal. In other
|
|
words, instead of a single mapping x -> F(x), there is a collection of
|
|
(usually linear) mappings, and random selection chooses which mapping is used.
|
|
|
|
Iterated function systems can be used to make things such as fractal ferns and
|
|
trees and are also used in fractal image compression. _Fractals Everywhere_
|
|
by Barnsley is mostly about iterated function systems.
|
|
|
|
Q10b: What is the state of fractal compression?
|
|
A10b: (Much of this information comes from the comp.compression FAQ, available
|
|
from FAQ archive sites as compression-faq. That FAQ has more information and
|
|
a long list of references. The state of fractal compression seems to be quite
|
|
controversial, with some people claiming it doesn't work well, and others
|
|
claiming it works wonderfully.)
|
|
|
|
Tal Kubo <kubo@zariski.harvard.edu> states:
|
|
|
|
According to Barnsley's book 'Fractals Everywhere', this method is based on a
|
|
measure of deviation between a given image and its approximation by an IFS
|
|
code. The Collage Theorem states that there is a convergent process to
|
|
minimize this deviation. Unfortunately, according to an article Barnsley
|
|
wrote for BYTE a few years ago, this convergence was rather slow, about 100
|
|
hours on a Cray, unless assisted by a person.
|
|
|
|
Barnsley et al are not divulging any technical information beyond the meager
|
|
bit in 'Fractals Everywhere'. The book explains the idea of IFS codes at
|
|
length, but is vague about the application of the Collage theorem to specific
|
|
compression problems.
|
|
|
|
There is reason to believe that Barnsley's company has *no algorithm* which
|
|
takes a given reasonable image and achieves the compression ratios initially
|
|
claimed for their fractal methods. The 1000-to-1 compression advertised was
|
|
achieved only for a 'rigged' class of images, with human assistance. The best
|
|
unaided performance I've heard of is good lossy compression of about 80-1.
|
|
|
|
But Yuval Fisher <fisher@inls1.ucsd.edu> disagrees:
|
|
|
|
Their performance has improved dramatically beyond what they were talking
|
|
about in BYTE a few years ago. Human assistance to the compression is no
|
|
longer needed and the compression time is reasonable, although the more time
|
|
and compute power you throw at the compression, the smaller the resulting file
|
|
for the same level of quality.
|
|
|
|
Kevin Ring provided information on Iterated Systems, Inc.'s products. They
|
|
have a Windows viewer, compressor, and magnifier program, as well as a
|
|
hardware assist board. They claim compression ratios such as 80:1, 154:1,
|
|
614:1, and 2546:1.
|
|
|
|
An introductory paper is:
|
|
|
|
1. A. E. Jacquin, Image Coding Based on a Fractal Theory of Iterated
|
|
Contractive Image Transformation, _IEEE Transactions on Image Processing_,
|
|
January 1992.
|
|
|
|
A fractal decompression demo program is available by anonymous ftp to
|
|
lyapunov.ucsd.edu [132.239.86.10] in /pub/inls-ucsd/fractal-2.0.
|
|
|
|
Another MS-DOS compression demonstration program is available by anonymous ftp
|
|
to lyapunov.ucsd.edu in /pub/young-fractal.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Chaotic demonstrations
|
|
|
|
Q11a: How can you make a chaotic oscillator?
|
|
A11a: Two references are:
|
|
|
|
1. T. S. Parker and L. O. Chua, Chaos: a tutorial for engineers, _Proceedings
|
|
IEEE_ 75 (1987), pp. 982-1008.
|
|
|
|
2. _New Scientist_, June 30, 1990, p. 37.
|
|
|
|
Q11b: What are laboratory demonstrations of chaos?
|
|
A11b: Two references are:
|
|
|
|
1. K. Briggs, Simple Experiments in Chaotic Dynamics, _American Journal of
|
|
Physics_ 55, 12 (Dec 1987), pp. 1083-1089.
|
|
|
|
2. J. L. Snider, Simple Demonstration of Coupled Oscillations, _American
|
|
Journal of Physics_ 56, 3 (Mar 1988), p. 200.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Fractal mountains
|
|
|
|
Q12: How are fractal mountains generated?
|
|
A12: Usually by a method such as taking a triangle, dividing it into 3
|
|
subtriangles, and perturbing the center point. This process is then repeated
|
|
on the subtriangles. This results in a 2-d table of heights, which can then
|
|
be rendered as a 3-d image.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Plasma clouds
|
|
|
|
Q13: What are plasma clouds?
|
|
A13: They are a fractint fractal and are similar to fractal mountains.
|
|
Instead of a 2-d table of heights, the result is a 2-d table of intensities.
|
|
They are formed by repeatedly subdividing squares.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Lyapunov fractals
|
|
|
|
Q14a: Where are the popular periodically-forced Lyapunov fractals described?
|
|
A14a: See:
|
|
|
|
1. A. K. Dewdney, Leaping into Lyapunov Space, _Scientific American_, Sept.
|
|
1991, pp. 178-180.
|
|
|
|
2. M. Markus and B. Hess, Lyapunov Exponents of the Logistic Map with
|
|
Periodic Forcing, _Computers and Graphics_ 13, 4 (1989), pp. 553-558.
|
|
|
|
3. M. Markus, Chaos in Maps with Continuous and Discontinuous Maxima,
|
|
_Computers in Physics_, Sep/Oct 1990, pp. 481-493.
|
|
|
|
Q14b: What are Lyapunov exponents?
|
|
A14b:
|
|
|
|
Lyapunov exponents quantify the amount of linear stability or instability of
|
|
an attractor, or an asymptotically long orbit of a dynamical system. There
|
|
are as many lyapunov exponents as there are dimensions in the state space of
|
|
the system, but the largest is usually the most important.
|
|
|
|
Given two initial conditions for a chaotic system, a and b, which are close
|
|
together, the average values obtained in successive iterations for a and b
|
|
will differ by an exponentially increasing amount. In other words, the two
|
|
sets of numbers drift apart exponentially. If this is written e^(n*(lambda))
|
|
for n iterations, then e^(lambda) is the factor by which the distance between
|
|
closely related points becomes stretched or contracted in one iteration.
|
|
Lambda is the Lyapunov exponent. At least one Lyapunov exponent must be
|
|
positive in a chaotic system. A simple derivation is available in:
|
|
|
|
1. H. G. Schuster, _Deterministic Chaos: An Introduction_, Physics Verlag,
|
|
1984.
|
|
|
|
Q14c: How can Lyapunov exponents be calculated?
|
|
A14c: For the common periodic forcing pictures, the lyapunov exponent is:
|
|
|
|
lambda = limit as N->infinity of 1/N times sum from n=1 to N of log2(abs(dx
|
|
sub n+1 over dx sub n))
|
|
|
|
In other words, at each point in the sequence, the derivative of the iterated
|
|
equation is evaluated. The Lyapunov exponent is the average value of the log
|
|
of the derivative. If the value is negative, the iteration is stable. Note
|
|
that summing the logs corresponds to multiplying the derivatives; if the
|
|
product of the derivatives has magnitude < 1, points will get pulled closer
|
|
together as they go through the iteration.
|
|
|
|
MS-DOS and Unix programs for estimating Lyapunov exponents from short time
|
|
series are available from lyapunov.ucsd.edu in /pub/ncsu.
|
|
|
|
Computing Lyapunov exponents in general is more difficult. Some references
|
|
are:
|
|
|
|
1. H. D. I. Abarbanel, R. Brown and M. B. Kennel, Lyapunov Exponents in
|
|
Chaotic Systems: Their importance and their evaluation using observed data,
|
|
_International Journal of Modern Physics B_ 56, 9 (1991), pp. 1347-1375.
|
|
|
|
2. A. K. Dewdney, Leaping into Lyapunov Space, _Scientific American_, Sept.
|
|
1991, pp. 178-180.
|
|
|
|
3. M. Frank and T. Stenges, _Journal of Economic Surveys_ 2 (1988), pp. 103-
|
|
133.
|
|
|
|
4. T. S. Parker and L. O. Chua, _Practical Numerical Algorithms for Chaotic
|
|
Systems_, Springer Verlag, 1989.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Logistic equation
|
|
|
|
Q15: What is the logistic equation?
|
|
A15: It models animal populations. The equation is x -> c*x*(1-x), where x is
|
|
the population (between 0 and 1) and c is a growth constant. Iteration of
|
|
this equation yields the period doubling route to chaos. For c between 1 and
|
|
3, the population will settle to a fixed value. For larger c, the population
|
|
will oscillate between two values, then four values, eight, sixteen, etc. For
|
|
still larger c (between 3.57 and 4), the population behavior is chaotic (for
|
|
most c values). See "An Introduction to Chaotic Dynamical Systems" for more
|
|
information.)
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Chaos
|
|
|
|
Q16: What is chaos?
|
|
A16: An attractor is chaotic if at least one of its Lyapunov exponents is
|
|
positive. Chaos results from the existence of a chaotic attractor.
|
|
|
|
Chaos is the recurrent behavior of a deterministic dynamical system in which
|
|
the phase-space divergence of nearby trajectories at an exponential rate
|
|
results in a limited predictability horizon.
|
|
|
|
In chaotic iterated systems of the form x_{i+1}=f(x_i), the result after
|
|
iteration is extremely sensitive to the initial value such that
|
|
f^n(x_0+(epsilon)) is nowhere near f^n(x_0).
|
|
|
|
Chaos results from our inability to predict the future behavior of a
|
|
deterministic system from initial conditions because of its great sensitivity
|
|
to initial conditions.
|
|
|
|
Chaos is apparently unpredictable behavior arising in a deterministic system.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Nonlinearity
|
|
|
|
Q17: What is nonlinearity? What are nonlinear equations?
|
|
A17: Nonlinear maps fail to satisfy the condition that f(ax+by)=af(x)+bf(y)
|
|
where x and y are vectors, and a and b are scalars. e.g. f(x)=ax is linear.
|
|
f(x)=x^2 is nonlinear. Nonlinearity is a map or term that is not linear.
|
|
|
|
A nonlinear system gives an output which is not proportional to the
|
|
corresponding input. Nonlinear dynamical systems possess nonlinear dynamical
|
|
laws, which are functions of the system's state variables.
|
|
|
|
In linear systems, dy/dx is a constant, while in nonlinear systems dy/dx=some
|
|
nonconstant function of x.
|
|
|
|
Nonlinear equations fail to exhibit linear superimposability. Nonlinear
|
|
equations can be categorized by differentiability, discontinuity, and "memory"
|
|
(e.g. hysteresis in an electric circuit), etc. This can be important to some
|
|
types of nonlinear analysis such as the Popov hyperstability criterion.
|
|
|
|
Nonlinearity References:
|
|
|
|
1. W. A. Brock and E. G. Baek, Some Theory of Statistical Inference for
|
|
Nonlinear Science, _Review of Economic Studies_ 58, 4 (1991), pp. 697-716.
|
|
|
|
2. J. Guckenheimer and P. Holmes, _Nonlinear Oscillations Dynamical Systems
|
|
and Bifurcations of Vector Fields_, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1983.
|
|
|
|
3. D. Zelinsky, _A First Course in Linear Algebra_, Academic Press, 1973.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: What is a fractal?
|
|
|
|
Q18: What is a fractal? What are some examples of fractals?
|
|
A18: A fractal is a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be subdivided
|
|
in parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the
|
|
whole. (A definition from B. Mandelbrot)
|
|
|
|
A fractal is a set of points whose fractal (Hausdorff) dimension exceeds its
|
|
topological dimension.
|
|
|
|
Examples of fractals: Sierpinski triangle, Koch snowflake, Peano curve,
|
|
Mandlebrot set.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Fractal dimension
|
|
|
|
Q19a: What is fractal dimension? How is it calculated?
|
|
A19a: A common type of fractal dimension is the Hausdorff-Besikovich
|
|
Dimension.
|
|
|
|
Roughly, fractal dimension can be calculated by taking the limit of the
|
|
quotient of the log change in object size and the log change in measurement
|
|
scale, as the measurement scale approaches zero. The differences come in what
|
|
is exactly meant by "object size" and what is meant by "measurement scale" and
|
|
how to get an average number out of many different parts of a geometrical
|
|
object. Fractal dimensions quantify the static *geometry* of an object.
|
|
|
|
For example, consider a straight line. Now blow up the line by a factor of
|
|
two. The line is now twice as long as before. Log 2 / Log 2 = 1,
|
|
corresponding to dimension 1. Consider a square. Now blow up the square by a
|
|
factor of two. The square is now 4 times as large as before (i.e. 4 original
|
|
squares can be placed on the original square). Log 4 / log 2 = 2,
|
|
corresponding to dimension 2 for the square. Consider a snowflake curve
|
|
formed by repeatedly replacing ___ with _/\_, where each of the 4 new lines is
|
|
1/3 the length of the old line. Blowing up the snowflake curve by a factor of
|
|
3 results in a snowflake curve 4 times as large (one of the old snowflake
|
|
curves can be placed on each of the 4 segments _/\_). Log 4 / log 3 =
|
|
1.261... Since the dimension 1.261 is larger than the dimension 1 of the
|
|
lines making up the curve, the snowflake curve is a fractal.
|
|
|
|
Fractal dimension references:
|
|
|
|
1. J. P. Eckmann and D. Ruelle, _Reviews of Modern Physics_ 57, 3 (1985), pp.
|
|
617-656.
|
|
|
|
2. K. J. Falconer, _The Geometry of Fractal Sets_, Cambridge Univ. Press,
|
|
1985.
|
|
|
|
3. T. S. Parker and L. O. Chua, _Practical Numerical Algorithms for Chaotic
|
|
Systems_, Springer Verlag, 1989.
|
|
|
|
4. H. Peitgen and D. Saupe, eds., _The Science of Fractal Images_, Springer-
|
|
Verlag Inc., New York, 1988. ISBN 0-387-96608-0. This book contains many
|
|
color and black and white photographs, high level math, and several
|
|
pseudocoded algorithms.
|
|
|
|
5. G. Procaccia, _Physica D_ 9 (1983), pp. 189-208.
|
|
|
|
6. J. Theiler, _Physical Review A_ 41 (1990), pp. 3038-3051.
|
|
|
|
References on how to estimate fractal dimension:
|
|
|
|
1. E. Peters, _Chaos and Order in the Capital Markets_, New York, 1991. ISBN
|
|
0-471-53372-6 Discusses methods of computing fractal dimension. Includes
|
|
several short programs for nonlinear analysis.
|
|
|
|
2. J. Theiler, Estimating Fractal Dimension, _Journal of the Optical Society
|
|
of America A-Optics and Image Science_ 7, 6 (June 1990), pp. 1055-1073.
|
|
|
|
Fractal dimension software:
|
|
|
|
Fractal Dimension Calculator is a Macintosh program which uses the box-
|
|
counting method to compute the fractal dimension of planar graphical objects.
|
|
It is available by anonymous ftp from wuarchive.wustl.edu The path is:
|
|
/mirrors4/architec/Fractals/FracDim.sit.hqx.
|
|
|
|
Q19b: What is topological dimension?
|
|
A19b: Topological dimension is the "normal" idea of dimension; a point has
|
|
topological dimension 0, a line has topological dimension 1, a surface has
|
|
topological dimension 2, etc.
|
|
|
|
For a rigorous definition:
|
|
|
|
A set has topological dimension 0 if every point has arbitrarily small
|
|
neighborhoods whose boundaries do not intersect the set.
|
|
|
|
A set S has topological dimension k if each point in S has arbitrarily small
|
|
neighborhoods whose boundaries meet S in a set of dimension k-1, and k is the
|
|
least nonnegative integer for which this holds.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Strange attractors
|
|
|
|
Q20: What is a strange attractor?
|
|
A20: A strange attractor is the limit set of a chaotic trajectory.
|
|
|
|
A strange attractor is an indecomposable closed invariant set that "attracts"
|
|
the points about it which contains a transversal homoclinic orbit. (This
|
|
orbit accounts for the strangeness.)
|
|
|
|
A strange attractor is a phase space locus of a bounded long-term dynamical
|
|
behavior which has a nonzero probability of being observed - its basin of
|
|
attraction has positive measure - and contains not a smooth manifold
|
|
structure, but rather a self-similar or fractal structure. Note: While all
|
|
chaotic attractors are strange, not all strange attractors are chaotic.
|
|
Reference:
|
|
|
|
1. Grebogi, et al., Strange Attractors that are not Chaotic, _Physica D_ 13
|
|
(1984), pp. 261-268.
|
|
|
|
Consider a volume in phase space defined by all the initial conditions a
|
|
system may have. For a dissipative system, this volume will shrink as the
|
|
system evolves in time (Liouville's Theorem). If the system is sensitive to
|
|
initial conditions, the trajectories of the points defining initial conditions
|
|
will move apart in some directions, closer in others, but there will be a net
|
|
shrinkage in volume. Ultimately, all points will lie along a fine line of
|
|
zero volume. This is the strange attractor. All initial points in phase
|
|
space which ultimately land on the attractor form a Basin of Attraction.
|
|
Note: A strange attractor results if a system is sensitive to initial
|
|
conditions and is not conservative.
|
|
|
|
A strange attractor is the surfaces which the state of a chaotic system will
|
|
be confined to, given time for transients to die out.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: How can I join the BITNET fractal discussion?
|
|
|
|
Q21: How can I join the BITNET fractal discussion?
|
|
A21: There is a fractal discussion on BITNET that uses an automatic mail
|
|
server that sends mail to a distribution list. (On some systems, the contents
|
|
of FRAC-L appear in the Usenet newsgroup bit.listserv.frac-l.) To join the
|
|
mailing list, send a message to listserv@gitvm1.bitnet with the following as
|
|
text:
|
|
SUBSCRIBE FRAC-L John Doe (where John Doe is replaced by your name)
|
|
To unsubscribe, send the message:
|
|
UNSUBSCRIBE FRAC-L
|
|
If that doesn't unsubscribe you, you can try:
|
|
SIGNOFF FRAC-L (GLOBAL
|
|
If that doesn't work or you have other problems, you can contact the list
|
|
administrator. You can obtain their name by sending the message:
|
|
REVIEW FRAC-L
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: 3-D fractals
|
|
|
|
Q22: How can 3-D fractals be generated?
|
|
A22: A common source for 3-D fractals is to compute Julia sets with
|
|
quaternions instead of complex numbers. The resulting Julia set is four
|
|
dimensional. By taking a slice through the 4-D Julia set (e.g. by fixing one
|
|
of the coordinates), a 3-D object is obtained. This object can then be
|
|
displayed using computer graphics techniques such as ray tracing.
|
|
|
|
The papers to read on this are:
|
|
|
|
1. J. Hart, D. Sandin and L. Kauffman, Ray Tracing Deterministic 3-D
|
|
Fractals, _SIGGRAPH_, 1989, pp. 289-296.
|
|
|
|
2. A. Norton, Generation and Display of Geometric Fractals in 3-D,
|
|
_SIGGRAPH_, 1982, pp. 61-67.
|
|
|
|
3. A. Norton, Julia Sets in the Quaternions, _Computers and Graphics,_ 13, 2
|
|
(1989), pp. 267-278.
|
|
|
|
Instead of quaternions, you can of course use other functions. For instance,
|
|
you could use a map with more than one parameter, which would generate a
|
|
higher-dimensional fractal.
|
|
|
|
Another way of generating 3-D fractals is to use 3-D iterated function systems
|
|
(IFS). These are analogous to 2-D IFS, except they generate points in a 3-D
|
|
space.
|
|
|
|
A third way of generating 3-D fractals is to take a 2-D fractal such as the
|
|
Mandelbrot set, and convert the pixel values to heights to generate a 3-D
|
|
"Mandelbrot mountain". This 3-D object can then be rendered with normal
|
|
computer graphics techniques.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: What are some general references?
|
|
|
|
Q23: What are some general references on fractals and chaos?
|
|
A23: Some references are:
|
|
|
|
1. M. Barnsley, _Fractals Everywhere_, Academic Press Inc., 1988. ISBN 0-
|
|
12-079062-9. This is an excellent text book on fractals. This is probably
|
|
the best book for learning about the math underpinning fractals It is also a
|
|
good source for new fractal types.
|
|
|
|
2. M. Barnsley and L. Hurd, _Fractal Image Compression_, Jones and Bartlett,
|
|
December, 1992. ISBN 0-86720-457-5. This book explores the science of the
|
|
fractal transform in depth. The authors begin with a foundation in information
|
|
theory and present the technical background for fractal image compression. In
|
|
so doing, they explain the detailed workings of the fractal transform.
|
|
Algorithms are illustrated using source code in C.
|
|
|
|
3. M. Barnsley and L. Anson, _The Fractal Transform_, Jones and Bartlett,
|
|
April, 1993. ISBN 0-86720-218-1. This book is a sequel to _Fractals
|
|
Everywhere_. Without assuming a great deal of technical knowledge, the authors
|
|
explain the workings of the Fractal Transform (tm). The Fractal Transform is
|
|
the compression tool for storing high-quality images in a minimal amount of
|
|
space on a computer. Barnsley uses examples and algorithms to explain how to
|
|
transform a stored pixel image into its fractal representation.
|
|
|
|
4. R. Devaney and L. Keen, eds., _Chaos and Fractals: The Mathematics Behind
|
|
the Computer Graphics_, American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 1989.
|
|
This book contains detailed mathematical descriptions of chaos, the Mandelbrot
|
|
set, etc.
|
|
|
|
5. R. L. Devaney, _An Introduction to Chaotic Dynamical Systems_, Addison-
|
|
Wesley, 1989. ISBN 0-201-13046-7. This book introduces many of the basic
|
|
concepts of modern dynamical systems theory and leads the reader to the point
|
|
of current research in several areas. It goes into great detail on the exact
|
|
structure of the logistic equation and other 1-D maps. The book is fairly
|
|
mathematical using calculus and topology.
|
|
|
|
6. R. L. Devaney, _Chaos, Fractals, and Dynamics_, Addison-Wesley, 1990.
|
|
ISBN 0-201-23288-X. This is a very readable book. It introduces chaos
|
|
fractals and dynamics using a combination of hands-on computer experimentation
|
|
and precalculus math. Numerous full-color and black and white images convey
|
|
the beauty of these mathematical ideas.
|
|
|
|
7. R. Devaney, _A First Course in Chaotic Dynamical Systems, Theory and
|
|
Experiment_, Addison Wesley, 1992. A nice undergraduate introduction to chaos
|
|
and fractals.
|
|
|
|
8. G. A. Edgar, _Measure Topology and Fractal Geometry_, Springer- Verlag
|
|
Inc., 1990. ISBN 0-387-97272-2. This book provides the math necessary for
|
|
the study of fractal geometry. It includes the background material on metric
|
|
topology and measure theory and also covers topological and fractal dimension,
|
|
including the Hausdorff dimension.
|
|
|
|
9. K. Falconer, _Fractal Geometry: Mathematical Foundations and
|
|
Applications_, Wiley, New York, 1990.
|
|
|
|
10. J. Feder, _Fractals_, Plenum Press, New York, 1988. This book is
|
|
recommended as an introduction. It introduces fractals from geometrical
|
|
ideas, covers a wide variety of topics, and covers things such as time series
|
|
and R/S analysis that aren't usually considered.
|
|
|
|
11. J. Gleick, _Chaos: Making a New Science_, Penguin, New York, 1987.
|
|
|
|
12. B. Hao, ed., _Chaos_, World Scientific, Singapore, 1984. This is an
|
|
excellent collection of papers on chaos containing some of the most
|
|
significant reports on chaos such as ``Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow'' by
|
|
E.N.Lorenz.
|
|
|
|
13. S. Levy, _Artificial life : the quest for a new creation_, Pantheon
|
|
Books, New York, 1992. This book takes off where Gleick left off. It looks
|
|
at many of the same people and what they are doing post-Gleick.
|
|
|
|
14. B. Mandlebrot, _The Fractal Geometry of Nature_, W. H. FreeMan and Co.,
|
|
New York. ISBN 0-7167-1186-9. In this book Mandelbrot attempts to show that
|
|
reality is fractal-like. He also has pictures of many different fractals.
|
|
|
|
15. H. O. Peitgen and P. H. Richter, _The Beauty of Fractals_, Springer-
|
|
Verlag Inc., New York, 1986. ISBN 0-387-15851-0. Lots of neat pictures.
|
|
There is also an appendix giving the coordinates and constants for the color
|
|
plates and many of the other pictures.
|
|
|
|
16. H. Peitgen and D. Saupe, eds., _The Science of Fractal Images_,
|
|
Springer-Verlag Inc., New York, 1988. ISBN 0-387-96608-0. This book contains
|
|
many color and black and white photographs, high level math, and several
|
|
pseudocoded algorithms.
|
|
|
|
17. H. Peitgen, H. Jurgens and D. Saupe, _Fractals for the Classroom_,
|
|
Springer-Verlag, New York, 1992. These two volumes are aimed at advanced
|
|
secondary school students (but are appropriate for others too), have lots of
|
|
examples, explain the math well, and give BASIC programs.
|
|
|
|
18. C. Pickover, _Computers, Pattern, Chaos, and Beauty: Graphics from an
|
|
Unseen World_, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1990. This book contains a bunch
|
|
of interesting explorations of different fractals.
|
|
|
|
19. J. Pritchard, _The Chaos Cookbook: A Practical Programming Guide_,
|
|
Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 1992. ISBN 0-7506-0304-6. It contains type-
|
|
in-and-go listings in BASIC and Pascal. It also eases you into some of the
|
|
mathematics of fractals and chaos in the context of graphical experimentation.
|
|
So it's more than just a type-and-see-pictures book, but rather a lab
|
|
tutorial, especially good for those with a weak or rusty (or even non-
|
|
existent) calculus background.
|
|
|
|
20. P. Prusinkiewicz and A. Lindenmayer, _The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants_,
|
|
Springer-Verlag, NY, 1990. ISBN 0-387-97297-8. A very good book L-systems,
|
|
which can be used to model plants in a VERY realistic fashion (the book
|
|
contains a lot of pictures).
|
|
|
|
21. M. Schroeder, _Fractals, Chaos, and Power Laws: Minutes from an Infinite
|
|
Paradise_, W. H. Freeman, New York, 1991. This book contains a clearly
|
|
written explanation of fractal geometry with lots of puns and word play.
|
|
|
|
22. D. Stein, ed., _Proceedings of the Santa Fe Institute's Complex Systems
|
|
Summer School_, Addison-Wesley, Redwood City, CA, 1988. See esp. the first
|
|
article by David Campbell: ``Introduction to nonlinear phenomena''.
|
|
|
|
23. R. Stevens, _Fractal Programming in C_, M&T Publishing, 1989 ISBN 1-
|
|
55851-038-9. This is a good book for a beginner who wants to write a fractal
|
|
program. Half the book is on fractal curves like the Hilbert curve and the
|
|
von Koch snow flake. The other half covers the Mandlebrot, Julia, Newton, and
|
|
IFS fractals.
|
|
|
|
24. I. Stewart, _Does God Play Dice?: the Mathematics of Chaos_, B.
|
|
Blackwell, New York, 1989.
|
|
|
|
25. T. Wegner and M. Peterson, _Fractal Creations_, The Waite Group, 1991.
|
|
This is the book describing the Fractint program.
|
|
|
|
Journals:
|
|
"Chaos and Graphics" section in the quarterly journal _Computers and
|
|
Graphics_. This contains recent work in fractals from the graphics
|
|
perspective, and usually contains several exciting new ideas.
|
|
"Mathematical Recreations" section by A. K. Dewdney in _Scientific American_.
|
|
Algorithms - The Personal Computer Newsletter. P.O. Box 29237, Westmount
|
|
Postal Outlet, 785 Wonderland Road S., London, Ontario, Canada, N6K 1M6.
|
|
Mandala
|
|
Fractal Report. Reeves Telecommunication Labs. West Towan House, Pothtowan,
|
|
TRURO, Cornwall TR4 8AX, U.K.
|
|
Amygdala. P.O. Box 219 San Cristobal, NM 87564-0219. This is a newsletter
|
|
about the Mandelbrot Set and other fractals. A trial subscription for 6
|
|
issues is $15 to: Amygdala Box 219 / San Cristobal, NM 87564. Contact Rollo
|
|
Silver (rsilver@lanl.gov) for more information.
|
|
FRAC'Cetera. This is a gazetteer of the world of fractals and related areas,
|
|
supplied in IBM PC format. For more information, contact: Jon Horner, Editor
|
|
FRAC'Cetera, Le Mont Ardaine, Rue des Ardains, St. Peters, Guernsey, Channel
|
|
Islands, United Kingdom.
|
|
|
|
Articles:
|
|
|
|
1. P. Blanchard, Complex Analytic Dynamics on the Riemann Sphere, _Bull. of
|
|
the Amer. Math. Soc_ 11, 1 (July 1984), pp. 85-141. This article is a
|
|
detailed discussion of the mathematics of iterated complex functions. It
|
|
covers most things about Julia sets of rational polynomial functions.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Subject: Acknowledgements
|
|
|
|
For their help with this file, thanks go to:
|
|
Alex Antunes, Erik Boman, Jacques Carette, John Corbit, Abhijit Deshmukh,
|
|
Robert Drake, Gerald Edgar, Gordon Erlebacher, Duncan Foster, Murray Frank,
|
|
Jean-loup Gailly, Earl Glynn, Lamont Granquist, Luis Hernandez-Ure:a, Arto
|
|
Hoikkala, Carl Hommel, Robert Hood, Oleg Ivanov, Simon Juden, J. Kai-Mikael,
|
|
Leon Katz, Matt Kennel, Tal Kubo, Jon Leech, Tom Menten, Guy Metcalfe, Eugene
|
|
Miya, Miriam Nadel, Ron Nelson, Tom Parker, Dale Parson, Matt Perry, Francois
|
|
Pitt, Michael Rolenz, Tom Scavo, Jeffrey Shallit, Rollo Silver, Gerolf Starke,
|
|
Bruce Stewart, Dwight Stolte, Tommy Vaske, Tim Wegner, Andrea Whitlock, Erick
|
|
Wong, Wayne Young, and others.
|
|
|
|
Special thanks to Matthew J. Bernhardt (mjb@acsu.buffalo.edu) for collecting
|
|
many of the chaos definitions.
|
|
|
|
Copyright 1993 Ken Shirriff (shirriff@sprite.Berkeley.EDU).
|