On 30 December 2008 Chris Green wrote [snip]: > It turns out that Africans probably did invent fractals before > Europeans.
And Paul Brandon responded: >Using patterns that may be described by the mathematics of >fractals is not the same thing as developing the mathematical >description necessary to understand what a fractal IS. I suppose it depends on what Chris means by "invent". (Of course, fractals were originally invented by the great architect of nature: http://tinyurl.com/ynovpv). In this context it would seem to have the meaning "made use of", in the same sense that certain geometric principles later came to be seen to lie behind ancient architecture. I know nothing of Islamic architecture, but I'm sure that unarticulated geometric principles were built into some of the designs. On Sunday there was a TV programme on BBC 4 called "How to Build a Cathedral" which demonstrated that some of the designs in Gothic architecture (originating in the 12th century) depended on geometrical/analytic relationships that were achieved by practical methods of technical drawing by the "master builders" without their having knowledge of the mathematics involved: "The tracery in European Gothic churches uses arcs of a circle, fitted together in ingenious ways. Some of the ingenious ways have mathematical principles underlying them. Although this brief excerpt does not mention it, it is not uncommon for the construction to be repeated in the same tracery in a different scale - a kind of reaching to infinity that is reminiscent of fractals." http://math.truman.edu/~thammond/history/FractalArt.html Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London http://www.esterson.org ******************************************** Re: [tips] Ron Eglash on African fractals | Video on TED.com Paul Brandon Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:31:02 -0800 Using patterns that may be described by the mathematics of fractals is not the same thing as developing the mathematical description necessary to understand what a fractal IS. On Dec 29, 2008, at 7:32 PM, Christopher D. Green wrote: > Michael Sylvester will like this in particular (but so will lots of > other TIPSters). > It turns out that Africans probably did invent fractals before > Europeans. > See the lecture: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ > ron_eglash_on_african_fractals.html Paul Brandon Emeritus Professor of Psychology Minnesota State University, Mankato [email protected] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
