Mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot has passed away at age 85. He only received tenure at Yale ten years ago.
Dr. Mandelbrot coined the term “fractal†to refer to a new class of mathematical shapes whose uneven contours could mimic the irregularities found in nature.
Here’s a photoset with a few examples of his work, or you could watch this amazing video of the Mandelbrot set in action. Rudy Rucker offers a tribute to Mandelbrot with some more examples and memories of a meeting with the man.
Update:From the BBC, How Mandelbrot’s fractals changed the world.