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Benoit Madelbrot was a truly amazing mathematician.
I can't quite recall whether it was "The Colours of Infinity" or "The Fractal Geometry of Nature" (by Mandelbrot, himself), or "Chaos" (by James Gleick) where the simple question was posed:
"What is the length of the coastline of England ?"
The answer:
"Infinite length".
An astounding answer … but true, as any coastline is fractal in its nature - self similar at all levels and scale invariant.
Farewell Benoit Mandelbrot .. a true pioneer of Science with profound insights and vision. His gifts to mankind were literally, unfathomable.
(As in beyond measurability).
Cheers
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