Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Algorithmic Beauty of Sea Shells

  • Book
  • © 1995

Overview

Authors:
  1. Hans Meinhardt

    1. Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Tübingen, Germany

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Part of the book series: The Virtual Laboratory (VIRTUAL LAB.)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Shell patterns — a natural picture book to study dynamic systems and biological pattern formation

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 1-18

  3. Pattern formation by local self-enhancement and long range inhibition

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 19-40

  4. Oscillations and travelling waves

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 41-52

  5. Superposition of stable and periodic patterns

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 53-70

  6. Crossings, meshwork of oblique lines and staggered dots: the combined action of two antagonists

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 71-90

  7. Branch initiation by global control

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 91-102

  8. The big problem: two or more time-dependent patterns that cause interference

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 103-126

  9. Triangles

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 127-142

  10. Parallel lines with tongues

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 143-162

  11. Shell models in three dimensions

    • Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz, Deborah R. Fowler
    Pages 163-182

  12. The computer program

    • Hans Meinhardt
    Pages 183-195

  13. Back Matter

    Pages 197-204
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

For centuries scientists have tried to understand the growth and development of multicellular organisms. More recently, with the help of mathematical models and computerized simulations, they have discovered algorithmic patterns and models that seem to describe the dynamic processes in which organisms grow, reproduce, and respond to external factors. In this fascinating and beautifully illustrated book, Hans Meinhardt explains and illustrates these structural growth patterns in the case of sea shells. The book delightfully conveys the intuitive appeal and the "touch of magic" in this research. A diskette packaged with the book contains a program that allows the reader to run the simulations on a PC. New patterns can be generated interactively to provide an insight into the process of biological pattern formation.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Max-Planck-Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Tübingen, Germany

    Hans Meinhardt

Bibliographic Information

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation