fractal

English

WOTD – 18 October 2010
A Julia set fractal

Etymology

From French fractal, from Latin fractus (broken), perfect passive participle of frangō (break, fragment).

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈfɹæk.təl/
  • (file)
  • (file)

Noun

fractal (plural fractals)

  1. (mathematics) A mathematical set that has a non-integer and constant Hausdorff dimension; a geometric figure that is self-similar at all scales.
  2. (figuratively) An object, system, or idea that exhibits a fractal-like property.
    • 1999, John J. McGonagle, Carolyn M. Vella, The Internet Age of Competitive Intelligence, →ISBN.
      In essence, you are assuming that each segment of a company is a fractal of the whole []

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

Romanesco, a vegetable related to broccoli and cauliflower made up of mini-spirals in fractal formation

fractal (not comparable)

  1. (mathematics) Having the form of a fractal.
    • 2015 January 26, Mark Diacono, “How to grow and cook cauliflower, 2015's trendiest veg: Tricky to grow, boring to boil ... so why is the outmoded cauliflower back at the culinary cutting edge? [print version: Cauliflower power, 24 January 2015, pp. G1 & G3]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Gardening):
      Romanesco was my gateway cauli and I've never stopped growing it. Not a variety as much as its own thing, Romanesco is a cauliflower to the French, a calabrese to the Italians. [] Visually, it may be the most remarkable thing you can grow: it is made up of lime-green mini-spirals that coil around themselves in fractal formation.
  2. (figuratively) Exhibiting a fractal-like property.
    • 2007, Vincent Spina, "Three Central American writers: alone between two cultures" in Carlota Caulfield, Darién J. Davis (eds) Companion to United States Latino Literatures, →ISBN.
      A fractal situation emerges in this way then: the consequences of Ulysses' decision to abandon Calypso are not entirely predictable.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams


Catalan

Pronunciation

  • (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /fɾəkˈtal/
  • (Valencian) IPA(key): /fɾakˈtal/
  • Rhymes: -al

Noun

fractal f (plural fractals)

  1. fractal

Adjective

fractal (masculine and feminine plural fractals)

  1. fractal

French

Etymology

Coined by Benoît Mandelbrot in 1975, from Latin fractus + -al.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fʁak.tal/

Adjective

fractal (feminine singular fractale, masculine plural fractaux, feminine plural fractales)

  1. fractal

Noun

fractal m (plural fractals or fractaux)

  1. (rare) Synonym of fractale

Further reading


Portuguese

Noun

fractal m (plural fractais)

  1. (mathematics) fractal (self-similar geometric figure)

Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɾaɡˈtal/, [fɾaɣˈt̪al]

Adjective

fractal (plural fractales)

  1. fractal
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