Fractals, Chaos, Power Laws: Minutes from an Infinite Paradise (Dover Books on Physics)

“As notable as the book’s broad sweep is the author’s good-natured, humorous presentation. The willing reader can sit back and enjoy an all-encompassing, irrepressibly enthusiastic tour, ranging from psycho physics to quasicrystals, from gambling strategies to Bach concertos, from the construction of Cantor sets to the design of concert halls.” — Physics Today “Such a richness of topics and amazing splendor of illustrations!” — Mathematics Magazine “An inviting exposition for a literate but not highly scientific audience.” — American Mathematical Monthly This fascinating book explores the connections between chaos theory, physics, biology, and mathematics. Its award-winning computer graphics, optical illusions, and games illustrate the concept of self-similarity, a typical property of fractals. Author Manfred Schroeder — hailed by Publishers Weekly as a modern Lewis Carroll — conveys memorable insights in the form of puns and puzzles that relate abstract mathematics to everyday experience. Excellent entertainment for readers with a grasp of algebra and some calculus, this book forms a fine university-level introduction to fractal math. Eight pages of color images clarify the text, along with numerous black-and-white illustrations.