Computer games and cinema special effects owe much of their realism to
the study of fractals. Martin Turner takes you on a journey from the
motion of a microscopic particle to the creation of imaginary
moonscapes.
The term fractal, introduced in the mid 1970's by Benoit
Mandelbrot, is now commonly used to describe this family of
non-differentiable functions that are infinite in length. Find out more
about their origins and history.
Practical problems often have no exact mathematical
solution, and we have to resort to using unusual techniques to solve
them. From navigation in the 17th century to postage stamps, see how
this principle applies to a variety of real-life problems - and also
learn how to use a piece of string to locate a German bomber!
David Ruddock describes himself as an artist who studied Maths. He
talks about how he spent his gap year, his studies and his interests as
an artist and mathematician.
Geraldine Paxton, an electronics engineer, is a member of the Ford Motor Company
Limited's graduate trainee scheme. Geraldine tells us about her work
there, from driving cars on the German autobahns to ensuring production
lines keep working. There's also salary information and a careers
contact point.