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A mathematical fractal (term coined by Benoît Mandelbrot, 1975 ) is based on an equation which undergoes iteration. This derives the property “self-similarity,” which boils down to (a) recurring pattern(s), possibly on an increasingly smaller scale, which, however, preserves the configuration.

As expected, fractals by design have a definitely sci fi look–just use your imagination:

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Images produced by fractal generating software are not necessarily strictly fractal, mathematically and even to the naked eye–it is possible to zoom in on a section of the image which displays no fractal properties whatsoever.