Benoit Mandelbrot: Fractals and the art of roughness

[@silasb1293]

He died in October of the same year :( Rest in peace, you legend.

[@joenuts8548]

Totally Not The FBI so sad 😢

[@usdjxavi]

Where are you hiding him fbi?

[@irukakudjira8154]

RIP and Huge Respect to Benoit Mandelbrot!

[@elsezenianagel5577]

He converted me from someone that couldn't do addition in my head to save my life, to a person that has come to love the beauty of mathematics, which helped me develop a greater understanding of how events in the universe are linked.

[@saurabhmhase4458]

Tell me more..

[@gbail9566]

Great complexity is simply described

[@TypeTipsLeonTsao]

It was the jackhammer at the end of the clip

[@thisvagabondlife7132]

I had a great algebra teacher in college and she totally changed my view of mathematics. Even though I still suck at mathematics I stand in awe.

[@vimal-cliobconsulting]

Ikr.

[@9GodsMusic]

I almost cried, i was so moved by the implications of this type of mathematics that he discovered. I will not forget the other equations, but this one more than anyone, has given me great solace since, to me it explains how nature and the universe works. Pure beauty, and I will never forget the fine man that discovered it.

[@scaprendering]

He gave me a job.As a fractal artist

[@v.a.i.s.a.k]

Same here. I was wonderstruck.

[@tyson31415]

A true honor just to see him talk about this. He changed the world in so many ways that most people will never understand. The morning weather forecasts in the 80's where about 50% accurate for the next 12 hours. Depending on where you live, they're pretty much spot on for at least 3 days if not a week. His mathematical theories made this sort of thing possible.

[@imwithstupid086]

I love how he discussed everything with so much vigor, even at such an advanced age. RIP Benoit {Benoit [Benoit (Benoit B. Mandelbrot) Mandelbrot] Mandelbrot} Mandelbrot.

[@Moodboard39]

How the heck u understand what he saying lol subtitles

[@probablynotsatanic66]

What does Benoit B Mandelbrot's middle initial stand for? Benoit B Mandelbrot.

[@robertj.wiltshire2264]

Badass

[@jetpaq]

+Robert J. Wiltshire lol correct!

[@chrcor6055]

probablynotsatanic66 haha took me while to get the joke

[@abm8017]

**fractal intensifies**

[@JG-mt3rp]

Delightful!

[@susanrosegale6646]

THIS is why I love knitting and crocheting - it is hard to explain but it helps.

[@axe863]

Dr. Mandelbrot was one of the greatest mathematicians that has ever lived. "Radical quants" have built upon his work and we currently have a far more realistic model of asset price dynamics than linear stochastic diff w/ Geometric BM ==> we have nonlinear stochastic diff w/ generalized endogenous multi-fractional multi-tempered stable motion.

[@okzoomers]

In this talk, given near the very end of his life and career, one thing is clear: he knew he had earned the right to self-promote. Truly one of the greats.

[@madhumangaldas333]

just one letter out of place changes everyting.......... flutters by....... Who knew ? 🙄🦋

[@derman077]

This man changed the course of human history for the better. I feel absolutely privileged to have heard him speak. Thank you Chris for TED Talks. This conference changed my life for the better.

[@squeegeemcgee]

I'll be damned. The year he died. Rest in Peace.

[@tonytg9099]

Maybe words cannot describe the just how important this man is. I really hope they teach the children this stuff in schools, just for the simple reason of viewing nature as a whole.

[@afomi]

~11:20 - The three of them had incomplete proofs. They got together, and together they had the proof. They got a big medal in mathematics for proving things I've seen without being able to prove them.

[@xchurricane]

Easily hands down my favorite mathematician, what a wonderful presentation as well.

[@omerufuk]

"Bottomless wonders spring from simple rules, which are repeated without end."

[@Bolden47]

Consistency and discipline

[@ValentineBondar]

Do what you love, love what you do

[@DaRealFiberOptix]

its amazing to see what a difference an active mind makes in old age

[@crustyoldfart]

A superbly intelligent man who was also gentle and in a sense child-like, in that what he probably regarded as ' play ' gave all who could understand, a key into an incredibly beautiful world. He forever linked the concept that simplicity is underlain with complexity, and if approached in the right way the complexity is beautiful. The philosopher can meaningfully extend this analogy into many fields of human endeavour.

[@euripideesshreds]

I'll remember him as a modern epic pioneer. His work has deeper implications than most. I say this is the guy who came up with proof of God in nature through sheer love for math and his ability to focus upon the hidden and tease it out. For me he married Formal Science and the infinite and gave us the signature of immortality. His baroque pattern is about the most Psychedelic visual yet. How humble he seems as he delights to reveal his story. I'd love to read a detailed bio. Someday a movie?

[@quaveglass]

All delivered so well off the dome. No notes. Benoit you are cherished! Thanks for all the hard work!

[@juubes5557]

9:20 Is he shaking and glitching or is it just my phone?

[@jacobemma7717]

Juubes happened to me too, must be the video

[@Kabitu1]

He is becoming one with the infinite mathematics of roughness. He has achieved true fractal enlightenment, sometimes it leaks through.

[@roofusonna1846]

Break in the Matrix.

[@KnakuanaRka]

I think it’s a glitch in the recording tech.

[@6789uiop]

Mine's fine. Drugs, in fact, ARE bad - m'kay?

[@MrSlowThought]

The cartoon at the end was the best part... I almost escaped out before I realized it was part of the show, and it was the most important bit of the show. Good seeing Mandelbrot speak, but didn't learn much. The cartoon (the old man) was the inspirational part.

[@abhijitchaudhuri2079]

The self similar shapes are amazing It points to the bottomless wonders of this creation Only Mathematics can able to find out the rhythm of nature. Fantastic curiosity and what a beautiful explanation.

[@kynaston1474]

Such an amazing man and so influential in my own life. Thank you Benoit Mandelbrot for bringing some order into our chaos. You are missed.

[@briansmobile1]

bottomless wonders spring from simple rules... repeated without end. Simplicity is beauty. No?

[@SmokeyDope]

Are you still around? How does it feel to get a reply to a 10 year old comment?

[@armanrai8563]

@@SmokeyDope lol :)

[@101m4n]

Complexity arising from simple rules. Sound familiar to anyone? Something very very deep is going on here, and we've only just scratched the surface of it.

[@lusv4316]

What’s your Snapchat/ other social media, we need to speak about this you’re completely right

[@Moodboard39]

Lol stop being so dramatic

[@Moodboard39]

No not familiar

[@101m4n]

@@Moodboard39 Speak for yourself

[@Moodboard39]

@@101m4n why you don't you stfu . Nothing deep here

[@gbail9566]

"You can do anything and get your career made." What a beautiful man.

[@drop_table_music]

This man is a hero of mine. His ideas changed the way I perceive the world. He will truly be missed and the world has lost a towering intellect.

[@Paganel75]

Strangely enough, almost nobody talks anymore about another feature discovered and demonstrated by Mandelbrot, which is Mandelbrot's law, which is to Zipf's law what the Van de Waals equation is to the Mariotte's one, and that he demonstrated using the notion of information costs proposed by Shannon (storage cost vs. usage cost) and just finding which usage function would minimize communication costs. A pure stoke of genius !

[@Decimaster321]

Haha, I was all excited for him to have some amazing and enlightening outlook on the Mandelbrot set, and he says what basically everyone says, "It's a really simple equation, and it's too complicated for me to even begin to describe it to you." Very entertaining talk :)

[@keplergso8369]

JS Bach was using fractals in his music. His works are very structured, and beauty appears. Bach felt that Nature is structured.

[@prwexler]

This guy was something else. I'm just at the beginning of his book. His writings are to mathematics as Shakespeare's are to theater.

[@yash1152]

20:46 i had seen this before - it's awesome watching again

[@psic0p4ta]

how magnificent is to have a video like this?? From one of the greatest mathematicians to have ever lived!

[@BinaryReader]

incredible, this man is a genius, we are so lucky to have him speak at TED. just wonderful.

[@stevemartin4249]

Been a fan of the mandlebrot set for a few years now, used it as a background print for my name card here in Japan. I use it as a kind of dynamic mandala, ermergence theory, or just 'what goes around, comes around'. Opened up a new world of metaphors to describe psychological phenomenon as well as the world. But from about 9:00, I couldn't help but to notice a glitch in the matrix. ;-)

[@saultube44]

3 Months and 1 week and 1 day later, this fractal man traveled to the unknown fractal world, imaginary, as is the afterlife; left us with probably the best clue about the Universe for the progress of Humanity, since the invention of Computers

[@simpleman283]

all that, without mentioning hours minutes & seconds?

[@ZX81v2]

LOL 44 people think this is a thumbs down video... One of the most brilliant Mathematicians of the 20th century. Seems you can't fix stupid....

[@user-vx1wt4hb5l]

Yup. that's another rule nature can be described by.

[@shantiajones8881]

That Liberty Mutual commercial at the end was the best example ever!!!

[@heinzorse6007]

"please excuse me for sitting, i'm very old" what a gigachad

[@breaneainn]

That's awesome, Benoit was an inspiration when i was a kid, his illumination of order out chaos was to me an insight on the blueprints of the universe. nice to hear him speak in the modern amphitheatre.

[@matrixistrue]

THANK YOU TED FOR POSTING SOMETHING LEGITIMATE

[@nickmagrick7702]

what a beautiful illustration of chaos (Roughness) in action in the video at the end.

[@fxevolution1006]

There might be so many investments out there but if profits must be considered which is actually the sole aim of every investment then I'll advice you go into stock because it has a higher profit rate than most investments out there

[@stefanmccarthy6166]

Stock trading is a very profitable trade but many people fail to understand that in any trade you must go by a certain rule for you to succeed, you must have a reliable strategy for you to make profit.

[@nicolepata6511]

Alot of people these days are beginning to realize the profits of stock trading which honestly i feel it's amazing, like you said yet again it really profitable when the right strategy and indicator is in place

[@andrevalentine694]

investment requires good experience and knowledge to carry out a good and successful trade, I have lost a lot trying to trade all by myself

[@preshytradefx110]

That is the exact reason I advise both new and old investors to trade with a professional who understands the market quite well that way maximum profit is guaranteed I myself trade with expert Nicholas James, and I always worry less about loosing out on stock because of his market diversification strategy

[@jayjordan3970]

Wish I knew this when I started investing in stocks. can you please share his contact because trading the same stocks everyone is trading over and over again isn’t getting me no where

[@Truthiness231]

Should have invented the "dancing ovation" for this talk; a standing ovation isn't good enough.

[@simonmultiverse6349]

Question: What does the "B." in "Benoit B. Mandelbrodt" stand for? A N S W E R It stands for... .... It stands for "Benoit B. Mandelbrodt".

[@terezinhanogueira6912]

this guy is a fucking Genius, im an artist, and u used his work everyday ! thank you sir, you made my life better !

[@crudhousefull]

It was mind-boggling to see Mandelbrot speak. Wow...what a giant

[@frankbraker]

@shakeyourdimsims "the concept of the length of a coastline" is what he said. One revelation provided by fractal geometry is that there is no standardized "length" of a coastline, because as you zoom in from 20 miles up, more and more detail is revealed, which continually lengthens the coastline as resolution is increased.

[@lvecsey]

algorithmic information theory actually explores the most dense (or simple) rules that output a given set of complexity. taken under that light the biological systems we see around us are redundant (for reliability and fail safety) marvels of engineering.

[@thierry0640]

Pour tout ce que vous nous avez enseigné, MERCI MONSIEUR MANDELBROT.

[@nachoijp]

Trying to understand a polish talking in english while being spanish is one of the hardest things I ever tried to do... Ted should add the subtitles to the videos (the have them on the site)

[@Moodboard39]

Exactly! Stupid people. Idk how anyone could understand wtf he saying with that bad English

[@Claudette68]

I am Hispanic also and I can understand not only his pronunciation but also his grammar. Sound like us

[@prwexler]

God, I wish I'd known that he was speaking in Long Beach, in 2010. I don't know how I would have squeezed my way in, but this would have been a pull-all-the-stops-to-get-a-ticket event.

[@odidiayb429]

Thank you for your discovery

[@DeathByFail]

I imagine humans as very complex products of a simple equation. the closest scientific description of a "soul". We are all connected.

[@paulobiber5907]

What a delightful wise man.

[@esyrim]

the little film at the end was cute! :o

[@jakejakeboom]

this man makes me proud to be Polish (even if he group up in France)

[@smokymcbongwater1088]

Do not take pride in things you do not earn. None of us can choose where we are born. So being proud of it is almost as foolish as being proud of being good looking.

[@Moodboard39]

Grew not group lol

[@davidmakin6984]

Interesting that he mentions the cauliflower/broccoli fractal. Ever since the original Mandelbrot Set was discovered artists and mathematicians have been trying to find the 3D equivalent i.e. the mathematical version of cauliflower/broccoli. After many failed attempts e.g. involving Hypercomplex maths (Quaternions, Bicomplex etc.) which just don't work, eventually (in 2009) Paul Nylander tried the z^8+c version of a 3D method first developed by Daniel White. Although the z^2+c version did not look too great, switching to the higher power produced essentially the result everyone was waiting for. To find out more just search the Web and KZbin for "mandelbulb".

[@jbolo5378]

David Makin ooo

[@christiankamleh9562]

Thanks for sharing Mandelbulb, they're awesome!

[@frosthazard]

Rest in peace Dr. Mandelbrot. My hero.

[@dabzdavid2378]

I guess no one watched the short animation at the end of the video.

[@VAXHeadroom]

Mandlebrot's work, "The Fractal Geometry of Nature" is HIGHLY recommended reading.

[@iqranadeem8549]

Reading your comment after 12 years and i have just downloaded this and start reading

[@abhishekshah11]

Such a profound personality.

[@Jonathan-fw3pv]

Great examples of fractals in nature and markets

[@moonstriker7350]

He has the voice of a man a lot-lot younger than he is.

[@uhohoverflow]

He never smoked and rarely drank alcohol.

[@philipkelleher2853]

I've never smoked alcohol...but I do drink it... ;-)

[@goxr3plus_studio]

Philip Kelleher 😏😂😂😂😂🚬😎

[@thisvagabondlife7132]

Maybe we are just the inhabitants of this island in the Mandelbrot set of vastness we call the universe

[@jaytea42]

Brilliant man, thank you for your contribution Mandlebrot!

[@Tutoelectro1]

He is very lifeful for his age!

[@notme222]

@TheDentist27 Perhaps this will help: One of the problems with making electronics is that a basic component, the capacitor, relies on surface area. A symetrically-distributed surface area, no less. So if your capacitor needs 1 square mm of area, it seems impossible to build it smaller. Using Mandelbrot's fractal formulas, we can now design for greater surface area without increasing the footprint. It really is an essential part of modern design.

[@DemonetisedZone]

Love listening to wise ppl. Could watch for hours👍

[@max.rodenkirchen]

What is this animation at the end? :D Love it

[@reepurpose8712]

Salute to anyone that would want to accurately measure the surface of a Broccoli Crown.

[@CrrackTheSkye]

I did not understand it entirely and I'll have to watch it again, but mister Mandelbrot is an amazing scientist.

[@Moodboard39]

Lol how can anyone understand wtf he saying

[@JackpotDen]

@SSPX3 you sir/madam have won my heart.

[@euripideesshreds]

@SSPX3 I am flattered. Thank you. I tried to check you out but Ch.N/A. Anyway you just made my day. Yet I'm not trolling for complements. TED has the smartest people so... what company to be with! I would say so much more but Demure to reflect the humility of our guy here. What they don't say here that I will mention is that he survived the WWll in Germany in hiding for 4 years as a younger man.( I just found the cool documentary moments ago).

[@momentary_]

Mandelbrot = OG Dismantling the so-called "complexity" of nature since 1951.

[@nickmagrick7702]

I think what he means by "ROUGHNESS" is rate of change. Im not entirely sure, its been a while since I thought deeply about this. Just realized this man is responsible for the concept of spontaneous emergence.

[@bedroomproductions887]

happy late birthday

[@schulerlukas2720]

I wish he would see the development of 3d fractals its amazing

[@jojogaming1013]

Fascinating. Great talk. Apart from the part he felt obligated to laugh maniacally when he presented the crop circle (16:10) to not become the victim of the already laughing public. At this point it's has become literal Pavlovian reflex! And that'"s what some are working to change.

[@IridescentAudio]

he was a genius, no question. RIP

[@AlternicityBlogspot]

13:10 See also Taleb: Black Swan

[@HeavyPhoton]

R.I.P. Great master :(

[@gulllars4620]

I wonder if Stephen Wolfram ever talked to Benoit Mandelbrot, and if so, if there's any video of it. I would love to see what two people with minds like that would talk about.

[@jetpaq]

+Gull Lars probably good food! and mutual admiration!! lol theyre both scary smart man!!sadly we may never know..this is why I believe all college should be free..the inspiration gained from a film like this would propel many people to become geniuses on his level or perhaps greater ,. and wed have more people to help the planet and ourselves!

[@ArchBattle]

I’ve never seen this before. Thanks for sharing this

[@jhkeum0124]

He is a polymath!!

[@WilliamLarsten]

Awesome talk! I wanna be as cool as him when I'm that old!

[@iammaxwelldemon]

a wonderful lecture, from a wonderful man, with a wonderful life... thanks Benoit Mandelbrot for all your great ideas, creations and new theories of geometry...

[@alcatrax1000]

Anoche soñé conversando con un anciano sobre matemáticas y otros temas, y hoy quise investigar sobre fractales y las ciencias de la complejidad, llego a este vídeo y el Sr Benoit Mandelbrot es idéntico al anciano del sueño. ¡casualidad! NO el cerebro esta diseñado para relacionar patrones.

[@ENr369]

What a fucking badass!

[@jetpaq]

+Edward Nygma agreeeeed!

[@MsGnor]

Yes, he is that!!! :))))

[@mopsnuf]

I study math but want to work outside academics. I encountered mr. Mandelbrot in a project, he's been one of my heroes since. What he did, how he did it and what he thought of is all still so massively impressive. Awesome.

[@li2z529]

"Cada parte es similar al todo" "De las leyes más simples nacen infinitas maravillas que se repiten indefinidamente"

[@DookieJuice1111]

You just blew my mind

[@Talazorn]

That comment made my day! congratulations sir!

[@Goettel]

8:56 Break out from the world, bossman!

[@izuix5629]

Extreme Parkinsons!

[@Si-Al-Ti]

15:41 looks like painting by Klimt

[@FractalPrism.]

i feel so personally explained in detail rn

[@marvinsaintnasisr.siarot9756]

I've been a fan of Mandlebrot Set. I named my son after him.

[@v.a.i.s.a.k]

There is order even in the most chaotic of things. Its simplicity, but of infinite recursions.

[@JamesBlitz00]

The cartoon at the end was good too.

[@PUTHENTHOPE]

Why did the Nobel Prize committee cannot understand this genius, or they purposefully forgetting him? If I could incorporate Dr. Mandelbrot's Fractal Geometry in my finance research, I'd be fulfilled. May his soul rest in peace.

[@Moodboard39]

Wtf that have to do finance

[@TheDentist27]

Ok let me take a shot at explaining this: Fractals are important because they demonstrate how a complicated phenomenon can be described with a simple formula if you just repeat the formula and it rolls forward. This means that complicated things may have a simple origin, so complexity does not equal a designer, or even if it does, the universe isn't all that complex because it can be described simply. Is there anything else?