From Wikipedia: The word "fractal" has two related meanings. In
colloquial usage, it denotes a shape that is recursively constructed or
self-similar, that is, a shape that appears similar at all scales of
magnification and is therefore often referred to as "infinitely
complex." In mathematics
a fractal is a geometric
object that satisfies a specific technical condition, namely having a Hausdorff
dimension greater than its topological
dimension. The term fractal was coined in 1975 by Benoît
Mandelbrot, from the Latin fractus, meaning "broken" or
"fractured."
