Mandelbrot Set Pattern on Cyclamen Leaves
March 17, 2014
Photographer: Thalia Traianou
Summary Author: Thalia Traianou
The ivy-leaved cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium) is considered one of the most beautiful flowers of southern Europe. Seen above, a living leaf is compared to a modeled leaf computed with the Mandelbrot set. The similarities are noticeable. The Mandelbrot set is named after the work of Benoit Mandelbrot, a mathematician working in the field of dynamic complexity. The fractal geometry he, and others, developed allowed objects long thought immeasurable, such as outlines of clouds, coastlines and edges of leaves, to be approached quantitatively. While the Mandelbrot Set doesn't exist in nature, there are many instances of near fractals. Photo taken in Florina, Greece.
Photo details: Canon EOS 500D camera; ISO 400; f/5; 1/60 sec. exposure. The Mandelbrot leaf design was made using Incendia Software.