Fractals

A fractal is a self-similar, or self-shaped, geometric figure. This means that the entire figure is made up of several parts that look more or less the same as the entire figure itself. Nature is chock full of fractals. Think of the branches of a tree (each branch looks like a small tree), clouds in the sky, or stalks of cauliflower or broccoli. The mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot introduced the term fractal (derived from the Latin fractus, meaning broken) in the 1970s and used a computer for the first time to visualize the results of calculations. This led to the Mandelbrot fractal, which is still one of the best-known fractals today.

In the Mandelbrot fractal it is clearly visible that details again contain the complete figure.

Chaotica
Numerous fractal generators have now been released for both PC and Mac, of which Chaotica is one of the most extensive (chaoticafractals.com). With Chaotica, beginners can create beautiful wallpapers or animations in no time, while advanced users can have fun with the dozens of parameters that can be set independently of each other. Chaotica's interface is similar to other graphics tools like Photoshop or Premiere Pro, so you'll likely be able to quickly get to grips with the palettes, sliders, and other settings. A characteristic of Chaotica is that not one mathematical formula is used to generate the fractals, but many at the same time. Every parameter of every formula is customizable. The result of the calculations is projected on top of each other and you can design complete desert landscapes, starry skies, cathedrals or futuristic eye-catchers.

Chaotica is available in a free version (with limited resolution and animation duration) and in two paid versions. With the most extensive version of 89 euros you can have fractals and animations calculated in any desired resolution, up to 4K and 8K. It goes without saying that a fast computer and graphics card are indispensable! But the free version is great to get started with. The maximum resolution in this version is 1280×960 pixels. Therefore, download this version from the website – chaoticafractals.com/download – and follow the standard installation wizard.