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Use and Abuse of Fractals

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Mathematical Biology

Part of the book series: Interdisciplinary Applied Mathematics ((IAM,volume 17))

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Abstract

The problem with a good name for a new (or resurrected) field, particularly one such as fractal theory which can be visually dramatic and practised without much background and sophistication, is that uninformed proselytising and inappropriate use can raise unrealistic expectations as to its relevance and applicability. Catastrophe theory is another example: its overzealous mathematical practitioners did considerable harm to the cause of interdisciplinary science. Although chaos and fractal theory have been proposed by some as biological panaceas fortunately there are enough realists to counter this view and generally keep them in perspective.

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© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

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Murray, J.D. (1993). Use and Abuse of Fractals. In: Murray, J.D. (eds) Mathematical Biology. Interdisciplinary Applied Mathematics, vol 17. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-22437-4_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-22437-4_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-95223-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-22437-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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