fractal

/ˈfræktəl/

/ˈfræktəl/

Other forms: fractals

In math, a fractal is an infinite pattern that appears similar no matter how closely you look at it. While fractals are quite complex, they're formed by simple equations that repeat endlessly.

When you look at a very small part of a fractal, you'll see that it resembles the full shape of the entire fractal. No matter how many times fractals are magnified, you continue to see that same shape or pattern being repeated. And the really mind-blowing thing is that fractals are infinite! Nature is actually full of fractals, from ferns to snowflakes. French mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot coined this term in 1975 from the Latin fractus, "broken."

Definitions of fractal

1. noun

   (mathematics) a geometric pattern that is repeated at every scale and so cannot be represented by classical geometry
   type of:

   form, pattern, shape

   a perceptual structure