English

A Julia set fractal

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 1567202047.

     In essence, you are assuming that each segment of a company is a fractal of the whole […]

Hyponyms

• See also Wikisaurus:fractal

Derived terms

• fractal dimension
• multifractal

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 185566139X.

     A fractal situation emerges in this way then: the consequences of Ulysses' decision to abandon Calypso are not entirely predictable.

Derived terms

• fractal antenna
• fractal dimension
• fractal response time

Translations

See also

• fractal on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Mandelbrot set
• Julia set

Anagrams

• flatcar

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɾəkˈtaɫ/
• Rhymes: -al

Noun

fractal f ‎(plural fractals)

1. fractal

Adjective

fractal m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural fractals)

1. fractal

French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fʁaktal/

Adjective

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

1. fractal

Noun

fractal m ‎(plural fractals or fractaux)

1. (rare) Synonym of fractale

Portuguese

Noun

fractal m (plural fractais)

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

Spanish

Adjective

fractal m, f ‎(plural fractales)

1. fractal