Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts:  

The math rating of today's image is a full-blown 10.  And the image is fully worth it.  The arms filling the central minibrot are the greatest mystery I have yet discovered in my 27 or so years of fractal exploration.  The parent fractal is the everyday 4-dimensional Hypermandelbrot set, which is simply 2 overlapping classic M-sets, so these arms have no right to be there.  The mystery is why the infinitesimal value of the real(p4) parameter would have such a great effect on certain fractals.

The name "The Greatest Mystery" simply states the situation as it is.

The art value of an 8 is largely due to my coloring efforts.  I have been putting more work into the FOTD's since we began phasing out the graphic design work here at FC a year or so ago, and as the phase-out continues, the FOTD's will get only better. And wait until one of the business machines is switched to a dedicated high-speed fractal unit.

The calculation time of 3 minutes is about average, but average can always be improved upon.  So for an improvement, check the FOTD web sites.

The temperature rose from a morning low of -2F -19C here at Fractal Central to a near tropical afternoon high of 19F -7C, with a few snow flurries thrown in to add interest.  The fractal cats showed little interest in the off-and-on sun however, and soon took up cozy residence on their favorite chairs, which happen to also be my favorite chairs.  The fractal people were also snug and cozy, but this is because the heating bills have not yet arrived.

The next FOTD will be posted in a day or two, or maybe three.  Until whenever, take care, and how many can see that we are being kicked around emotionally by the media like a bull with a ring in its nose?  BTW, all those who feel too much anxiety because of all the doomsday shows on TV should distract themselves from their worries by buying and using the sponsor's products.

(BTW, just wait until big govermnent or big corporations begin controlling and censoring the internet.)

Jim Muth
jimmuth@earthlink.net


START PARAMETER FILE=======================================

TheGreatestMystery { ; time=0:03:00.00 SF5 at 2000MHZ
  reset=2004 type=formula formulafile=basicer.frm
  formulaname=HyperMandelbrot2 passes=1
  center-mag=-0.75633334435/+0.06435853132/3.47e+007\
  /1/75/0 params=0/0/0/0/0.5/0/1e-150/0 float=y
  maxiter=1625 inside=0 logmap=-668 periodicity=0
  colors=00000D00F00H00J00L00N00P00R00S00U00W00Y00_0\
  0a00b00c00c00c00d00e00d00c10b20a30`40_50Z60Y70X80W\
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  7PF5OG4OH4NI3NJ2MK2ML1LM0LN0NO4PP8RQBTRFVSIXTMZUP_\
  WTaZXc`_eccgefihjkjmmmqnotmqhloYjmJgkNdiRagVZeZYcb\
  XafV_jUYkTWlQUmSSmTQmUOmVMmXKmYImZGm_Gh`GcbIWcIUdH\
  UeGUgFUeEUcDUaCU_BUYAUW9UU8US7UQ6PO5KQ4FS3AU28W16Y\
  04_02a00c00c00Z80Q71I42C03A04A05406307208206104103\
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  aaKabPbcUcdZceccfhegmghriivmmzrrzsszuuzvvzwwzxxzyy\
  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz }

frm:HyperMandelbrot2 {; periodicity must be turned off
a=(p1),b=(p2):
q=sqr(a)-sqr(b)+pixel,
b=(p3+2)*a*b+p4,
a=q,
|a|+|b| <= 100 }

END PARAMETER FILE=========================================