Power-law Relation and Complexity in the Shape of Chinese Character (Kanji)

摘要

This paper investigates the statistical properties of the shape of Chinese characters (kanji). The authors analyze the shape of kanji using a digital font, and find the power-law relation between the line length and stroke count of kanji. To explain this relation, a simple model based on fractals is introduced. Through the comparison of the data analysis and the model, the authors conclude that the shape of kanji grows in a plane-filling manner as the stroke count increases.