Physics 21 Reading List #1

Hello, and welcome to ph21!

The first assignment is on the Mandelbrot set.
If you need a refresher on complex numbers, start by going to MathWorld, or if you'd like more details, to Dave Joyce's short course.

You are now ready to tackle the Mandelbrot set: a short presentation is again at MathWorld. There is a treasure trove of information on the internet, and you can search for your own. But I liked:

- Dave Joyce's pages on the Julia and Mandelbrot sets;

- the article by A. K. Dewdney in Scientific American ("Computer Recreations," August 1988), which drew an entire generation of computer hobbyists to the Mandelbrot set;

- Benoit Mandelbrot's biographical sketch;

- the very extensive Encyclopedia of the Mandelbrot Set, especially about what to expect while exploring;

- the Chaos hypertextbook.

If you need more help in getting started with C++, have a look at the books in the lab (which should not be taken out of the lab). There are web resources located on the webpage. Also ask your TA for assistance and pointers (and possibly for assistance about pointers :).