We can haz maths? ? Why Evolution Is True

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I used to like maths. I?m still fascinated by such apparent paradoxes as the simple algorithm that generates the infinite complexities of the Mandelbrot set (just start a Mandelbrot program, zoom in to some point as far as the program will allow, and reflect that you?re probably the first person ever to see that particular unique structure). It?s very easily programmed on a home computer, in about two lines of code IIRC.

Or the ?logistic equation? x[n+1] = rx[n](1-x[n]) (the squared brackets represent subscripts, I can?t do that properly in HTML) which ? for certain values of ?r? ? goes chaotic. And the only way to find the value of e.g. x[100] is to work through every previous value in sequence ? apparently there is no short cut. But amidst the chaos are ?islands of stability? where the equation settles down. (I can?t help thinking ?It?s chaotic ? how does it ?know? when to settle down?? which is completely baseless, I?m anthropomorphising an algorithm ffs!)

James Gleick?s book ?Chaos? is quite a good guide to some of this fascinating stuff.

Source: http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/we-can-haz-maths/

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