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[KaelGotDwarves]

So, Benoît Mandelbrot passed away just over a day ago.

Dr. Mandelbrot received more than 15 honorary doctorates and served on the board of many scientific journals, as well as the Mandelbrot Foundation for Fractals. Instead of rigorously proving his insights in each field, he said he preferred to “stimulate the field by making bold and crazy conjectures” — and then move on before his claims had been verified. This habit earned him some skepticism in mathematical circles.

“He doesn’t spend months or years proving what he has observed,” said Heinz-Otto Peitgen, a professor of mathematics and biomedical sciences at the University of Bremen. And for that, he said, Dr. Mandelbrot “has received quite a bit of criticism.”

“But if we talk about impact inside mathematics, and applications in the sciences,” Professor Peitgen said, “he is one of the most important figures of the last 50 years.”

via http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/us/17mandelbrot.html?_r=1

For his work on fractal geometry and how such math sets can define natural processes, his influences on chaos theory, and work combining science and computing technology while at IBM - we owe a debt of gratitude. Any (semi)realistic procedural world generation -including DF and Minecraft's- is a result of building upon his mathematics.

Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles, and bark is not smooth, nor does lightning travel in a straight line.

  —Mandelbrot, in his introduction to The Fractal Geometry of Nature

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAJE35wX1nQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDd8R0xlkNA
Relevant to DF! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w6vo9t62c0&feature=related

Much respect Mr. Frenchman.

[Vector]

 

I guess I'd better go study some fractals in his honor.

[Fossaman]

Ah, that's a pity. I got to attend a lecture he gave once, it was a lot of fun.

[Karlito]

Mandelbrot's in heaven.

[Itnetlolor]

R.I.P. you crazy awesome mathematician.

[Solifuge]

I only learned of him about 2 years ago... he was an impressive fellow, and he leaves a great legacy behind him. He used his life and expertise to help bridge the gaps between thinkers and disciplines, and didn't allow himself to be bogged down in minutia. An inspiration that that sort of big-picture thinking has a place in the world, and should I commit myself to something similar, I can know that the trail has been blazed before.

Rock on, Mandelbrot, and thanks for the Fractals.

[ein]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

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[Armok]

D:

[smjjames]

I've heard of mandelbrot as in the fractal designs and infinite fractal geometry, but never really heard about the guy who pioneered the whole thing.