National
          Science Foundation
National Curve Bank

Sierpinski Triangles

Deposit #2


Levels


NCB Deposit # 2

Animated Sierpinski Triangle

The National Curve Bank welcomes the Sierpinski Triangle animation of
Kathleen Shannon and Michael Bardzell
Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science
Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD.

NCB Deposit #3

Animation
 
 

A Sample 
of 
recursion equations:

Recursion equations
 
 

For a definition click here:
Gasket definition
 

Stamp

Click on the stamp
to see an enlargement.

Fractal

Click on the Mandelbrot Set
to read more about fractals.
Waclaw Sierpinski 
(1882 - 1969 )

World War I totally disrupted the mathematical communities of eastern Europe.  Rather than try to re-build comprehensive university programs in several areas of research, Sierpinski, Kuratowski, Banach and others decided to work together in the emerging field of abstract spaces.  They soon became known as the "Polish School."  Their first international recognition came from publishing a new journal, Fundamenta Mathematicae (1920), devoted to set theory and related topics, and not to their work in topology.  Indeed, the publication of Banach's dissertation in 1922 has been called the birth of functional analysis.

Still, an interest in abstract spaces flourished.  As early as 1915, Sierpinski described a "gasket" or a "triangle" with repeated and proportionally reduced areas.  Today these shapes are widely known as "fractals."  Sierpinski's triangles would later emerge to be among the most recognizable shapes or patterns in all computer graphics. 

As Botticelli gave birth to Venus by using foam of the sea, the recursive power of the computer would lift Sierpinski's triangles to a heightened level of prominence.

Picture of
                                  Sierpinski

Great Sierpinski Links

The PascGalois Project
http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~kmshanno/pascal/

Sierpinski's Triangle:
http://www.mathjmendl.org/chaos/#sierp

Variety of images from Sweden:
http://www.dd.chalmers.se/~gu94joli/icons.html

Koch's Snowflake:
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/koch/index.html

Some important honors.
Journal cover
Click on this image to see
the cover of the journal
founded by Sierpinski.
Sierpinski honors

Note: Sierpinski was awarded 11 honorary doctorates.
Click on the image to see a large copy of the tribute 
published in Fundamenta Mathematicae following his death in 1969.