The Chaos Game
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Might take a while but...
Background
The Chaos theory; I'll explaine briefly some of the backgroung. First, we think of the world in terms of the tiny particles, atoms and molecules that make up all matter including all living organisims(that means us too!). In a nutshell everything that happens in life is caused by change at a tiny molecular level. Although the behaviour of such tiny particles appears random, there are actually very significant patterns and order to they way they move. To illustrate the seeming appearance of an underlying ordering force....The Chaos Game!
Materials
You will need: a piece of paper (A4 will do)
a pen
a dice
a ruler
Method
Draw three dots on a piece of paper to form an equilateral triangle, don't join them!
Graphically...
A.
B. C.
For ease of use purposes the points shall be labelled (A, B, C)
Now place another dot anywhere on the page, anywhere! This is your starting point...
Graphically...
A.Start Point.
B. C.
Next, roll the dice. The number on the dice will determine where you place the next point on the page. It will be placed halfway between one of the triangle points and the Start Point.
If you roll a 1 or 2 place the new point between start point and A, If you roll a 3 or 4 place the new point between start point and B,
If you roll a 5 or 6 place the new point between start point and C,
Hypothetically we role a 5....
A.
Start Point.
Fifth Point.
B. C.
I hope the full stops illustrate clearly the actual diagrammatic appearance. Now, Fifth point is the new start point. Repeat the die roll and place a new point somewhere between point A,B or C and Fifth point, (now called Starting Point)
Repeat this with a couple of hundred dots for spectacular results, I won't be displaying this graphically!
The result should be a complicated but simple pattern of triangles of different sizes and orientation that is quite mesmerizing!
However it takes a really long time and it can be more entertaining to look at on the web, somewhere.