Fractal Beginnings

Much of the geometry you learn in school can be used to describe man-made objects. We see all around us examples of circles, regular polygons, rectangular boxes and spheres. The geometry we are taught gives us very few tools to describe the geometry of natural objects such as trees, clouds, and natural borders such as coastlines. Mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot was aware of this when he said, Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles, and bark is not smooth, nor does lightning travel in a straight line.