It was just over 20 years ago that the Mandelbrot set took the world by storm. Pictures of extraordinary complexity and beauty appeared in scientific and glossy magazines, on the walls of art galleries and classrooms, on posters and even on tablemats. With the increasing availability of personal computers, drawing the Mandelbrot set became a standard exercise for those learning programming, and it was frequently an addiction for computer buffs, who were able to explore its intricacy by forever homing in on parts of the structure. Perhaps it is not surprising that such a simple procedure enabling almost anyone to produce an object of immense sophistication and attractiveness caught the public imagination.
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