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BUILT HERE · TEACHING SITE

Fractals, explained from the first rule to the computer screen

fractals explains how simple rules repeated over and over make infinite detail: coastlines, ferns, snowflakes and the Mandelbrot set. Eighteen narrated chapters with instruments you can play with, a history and a 107-term glossary.

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What it is

A hands-on guide in five parts, from what self-similarity means to how a computer chooses the colours in a fractal image. Every chapter opens with a short narrated walkthrough and has instruments you can drag and change.

It is the third site in the family that began with waves, and it grew out of JellyDazzle, which paints fractals to music.

Who it is for

Anyone who has seen a Mandelbrot image and wondered how it is made. No maths background is needed; the maths is there for those who want it.

How it started, and how I built it

Fractals sit at the heart of JellyDazzle, so explaining them properly was the natural next teaching site.

  1. Same proven engine. Built on the waves engine: narration, instruments, dark mode and a colour-blind palette.
  2. From rule to pixel. The final part shows how a computer actually computes and colours a fractal, including a real rendering bug from JellyDazzle and its fix, recreated live.
  3. Reference built in. A history of the people involved and a 107-term glossary.

What it shows I can do

  • Teaching a mathematical subject without hiding the maths, and without requiring it.
  • Reusing a proven engine to ship a new site quickly and consistently.

For a client, the same method produces training that people finish.

Questions people ask

Do I need maths?

No. Every chapter starts in plain English; the formulas are optional.

How does it relate to JellyDazzle?

JellyDazzle draws fractals to music; this site explains how they work.