Back to NCTM San Diego: Presentation Summary
Teaching fractal geometry is an attempt to engage students' interest in a mathematics topic that has not previously been available to them. Only with the development of computer graphics have these shapes been visible to anybody. Past results indicate that fractals can become a favorite topic of students. They can create an image that perhaps nobody has previously seen. The creative possibilities are tremendous. If students can enjoy and appreciate a mathematics class, then they will be more likely to take further mathematics courses. Fractals can help students to overcome a fear of mathematics. Mountains are not cones. The intricate detail found in nature can not be properly modeled with old-fashioned mathematics. But the number of "fractal" applications to the real world has increased exponentially since the word was invented in 1977. That's when Benoit Mandelbrot found that his "self-similar" pictures are good models for natural shapes. Fractals are now used in over 200 scientific disciplines. Everything that involves turbulence, self-similarity, or fracturing can be modeled with fractals--usually better than with any other model.People complain all too often that traditional (Euclidean) mathematics is dull and boring. A triangle is very "straight." However, a fractal shape has infinitely tiny details that are full of suprises when explored more closely. Math students should have the opportunity to discover fractal geometry--the mathematics of the future.
Mark F. Harbison
Sacramento City College, CA
email: MHfractal@aol.com
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