How to generate a Mandelbrot Set picture

The Mandelbrot Set is represented graphically on the screen with x- and y-axes. The set itself comprises Real and Imaginary axes. The Real axis is the (horizontal) x-axis, the 'Imaginary' axis is the (vertical) y-axis for the Mandelbrot Set. There are two ways to generate a fractal picture of the Mandelbrot Set:

Easy Way:

Just display the whole set and zoom down from there. The interesting areas are around the edge of the set.

Clever, ie Difficult Way:

  1. Click on the Coordinates of picture button on the Control Panel:
Coordinates button
  1. I display the Coordinates of picture dialog. Click on Edit these and enter 'Real' (c-axis) and 'Imaginary' (d-axis) coordinates:
Coordinates dialog
  1. I only give the coordinates of the upper left-hand corner of the area, and the length of the vertical side of the picture I want. If you got the area from a book or magazine, they may have given you two sets of coordinates. If you have two pairs of numbers:
  2. Take the lower Real and higher Imaginary coordinates. That defines the top left hand corner.
  3. Enter the vertical ('Imaginary' or y-axis) length of the area you want to display. If you got it from me you'll already have the number. If you had it from a magazine, they'll probably have given two pairs of numbers:
  4. Take the lower 'Imaginary' from the higher 'Imaginary' number. That's the length.
  5. After that, you don't need to worry, I recalculate coordinates whenever you move or zoom about on the complex plane.

 

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