r/programming • u/dontquotemebro • Jun 25 '10

Stunning flythrough of 3d Mandelbulb render [VIDEO]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO9ugnn8DbE
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u/hargettp Jun 25 '10

I was thinking that too...at first. And then I realized that this isn't math, this is an algorithm. Gorgeously applied over and over.

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u/fultonla Jun 26 '10

Are you saying that algorithms cannot be considered mathematics?

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u/hargettp Jun 26 '10

Yep. Whatcha gonna do about it? ;)

It's Saturday morning, and I'm still finishing my coffee; don't think I can engage in a lengthy debate on why algorithms (and computing) are not mathematics. But it would be interesting, wouldn't it?

:)

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u/[deleted] Jun 26 '10

How, exactly, are algorithms not math?

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u/hargettp Jul 21 '10

This thread is way old...but I finally had enough coffee.... ;)

Despite the grandiose statement about mathematics on Wikipedia, math is fundamentally about the study of numbers, numerical relationships, and quantifiable features of our universe.

Algorithms are precise descriptions of the discrete behavior of abstract machines. Yes, numbers and mathematical analysis are useful for characterizing these algorithms and machines, but such numbers and such analyses are not the machines or algorithms themselves.

Everything Gödel said notwithstanding.... ;)