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Abstract

The article is a reflection of the author’s conception of the term ‘gnarly’, extending the term’s meaning from its origins in California surfer slang. 'Gnarly' is often used in a colloquial context, however, the author believes that the term is able to be used in an academic field as it pertains to outcomes and results of equations. Discussions towards the application of the term 'gnarly' showcase how it can be used in a scientific, mathematical, and artistic context through seemingly random patterns. In order to be gnarly, things must lie and exist between the realm of orderly and chaotic often pertaining to being unpredictable. Examples such as the Mandelbrot set created by Adrien Douady and the Julia set created by Gaston Maurice Julia are used to explain how mathematical equations give a 'gnarly' result due to their recursive nature, producing expanding magnifications and complex dynamics. The term chaos, while having a finite definition, can have unexplainable outcomes which the author explores in terms of pseudorandom, chaotic systems, and chaotic attractors. The article also states how people can also be gnarly and how artificial life can and should be gnarly to produce unexpected and unique outcomes.

Preservation Process

Archived from http://switch.sjsu.edu/archive/nextswitch/switch_engine/front/front.php%3Fartc=211.html. Documentation of the preservation processes used for this collection is available at https://github.com/NickSzydlowski/switch. Metadata for this item was created and augmented by Megan Chao, Spring 2022, Art 104

Original Article URL

http://switch.sjsu.edu/archive/switch/alife/rucker/gnarl_def1.html

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