The Algorithmic Beauty of Sea Shells

Download or read book The Algorithmic Beauty of Sea Shells written by Hans Meinhardt and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.