Talk:Fractal

From iA wiki

Here's what i don't get about that coastline thing. Yes, certainly depending on the instrument used to measure you're going to get a different size, but that doesn't mean that the exact length of the British coastline is not something that could theoretically be calculated. If we continually zoom in to our hypothetical super-powered satellite image of England, first we would see the general shape of the country, then a single beach, then a small patch of sand beside a small patch of water, then a few grains of sand exactly on the edge of the water, then a few sand molecules next to a few water molecules, then atoms, sub-atomic particles etc. Eventually we will reach a point where there is nothing smaller, and once we've found that point we can start the absolute measurement. Of course, what you might be saying is that there's no guarantee that a "smallest possible point" even exists... In which case our universe IS fractal... -- Amw

Yes fractal is a way to describe the universe and most of the things around us. A mix of order and chaos. Regarding the coastline analogy, first off I am not sure a finite figure could ever be agreed upon. More importantly considering your case, what about changes over time, altering the coastline? By the time the measurement is made, the coastline has changed or morphed. - ABliss