what is a fractal?

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Posted by Jeanie on November 08, 1999 at 16:56:18 :
hello.
what is the exact definition of a FRACTAL?
Answer:
There are several ways of defining a fractal. The most formal definition is:
Fractal - a geometric figure whose real dimension (read the chapter on fractal dimension) is greater than its topological dimension.
There are however, less formal, but still correct ways of defining a fractal. For example:
Fractal - a geometric figure that is formed by a repeated application of a certain process (see: iteration)
or
Fractal - a geometric figure that does not change complexity at any levels of magnification.
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