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`Fractal World' begins at Alliance Francaise

Bangalore June 12. ``A Fractal World'', a travelling exhibition, was inaugurated on Thursday at Alliance Francaise, Bangalore, by Marguerite Flexor of the University of Auxerre.

The exhibition is on fractals, a new branch of mathematics developed in the early 19th Century by French mathematicians, Fatou and Julia. The exhibition will here for the next two weeks and then travel all over India for eight months.

``Through this exhibition we hope to explain the theory and concepts of fractals to the people,'' Stephane Foin, Director, Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, said.

According to Prof. Flexor, fractal images show us that apparently regular objects are not the only ones that are mathematically conceivable. "An object or structure may be called fractal if all its parts present the same irregularity at all scales. Fractal geometry is a domain in which pure intellectual speculation prevails over application,'' she told presspersons.

Despite being an abstract subject, the applications of fractals were many, Prof. Flexor said. "The functioning of the human lung may be modelled by a description that use fractal geometry in association with equations from Fluid Mechanics. Thus fractals are closely associated with other physical sciences and are also used to predict patterns with regard to physical phenomena,'' she added.

This exhibition is the first of its kind in India, according to Mr. Foin. Through the exhibition fractal mathematicians hope to popularise the science in the country.

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