The fractal dimension of architecture (Q289681)

The book \textit{The Fractal Dimension of Architecture} presents a detailed and careful discussion of how to use the fractal dimension to measure subsets of the plane that represent elevations of buildings and their floor plans. The authors use the software ArchImage to calculate and compare the fractal dimension of eighty-five \(20^{th}\) century buildings that are considered ``classical'' from the perspective of Modernism. The buildings are designed by a diverse body of architects and are located in various regions of the world. The fractal (fractional) dimension was defined for the first time by \textit{F. Hausdorff} [Math. Ann. 79, 157--179 (1918; JFM 46.0292.01)] by using the external Lebesgue measure. The concept was later discussed in detail by Besicovitch in 1929. One of the modern tools for calculating the fractal dimension is the box counting method presented originally by \textit{R. F. Voss} in [``Characterization and measurement of random fractals'', Physica Scripta 1986, T13 (1986)] and in [\textit{M. F. Barnsley} et al., The science of fractal images. With contributions by Yuval Fisher and Michael McGuire. Ed. by Heinz-Otto Peitgen and Dietmar Saupe. (Based on notes for the course fractals - introduction, basics and pespectives given as part of the SIG-GRAPH '87, Anaheim, Calif. course program). New York etc.: Springer-Verlag (1988; Zbl 0683.58003)]. The common expectation that the fractal dimension applies exclusively to fractals that were introduced by \textit{B. B. Mandelbrot} [in: Nonlinear dynamics, int. Conf., New York 1979, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 357, 249--259 (1980; Zbl 0478.58017)], is not justified historically, since the fractal dimension preceded fractals by more than 60 years. The goal of the book is to establish connections among visual complexity of various architectural styles and quantitative measurements of their geometry. The authors frame the following scientific questions of their measurements: {\parindent=0.7cm\begin{itemize}\item[--] ``As the complexity of social groupings and functions contained within the home has reduced over time, the fractal dimensions of plans and elevations should reduce to reflect this change.'' \item[--] ``Each stylistic genre or movement possesses a distinct visual character that is measurable using fractal dimensions.'' \item[--] ``Individual architects will present distinctive patterns of three-dimensional spatial and formal measures across multiple designs.'' \end{itemize}} due to the middle hypothesis is replaced by ``Combinations of measures derived using fractal analysis are useful for differentiating architectural character.'' Instead of a discussion of convergence of the box counting method, there are considerations of how the following factors influence the measurements (Tables 5.1--5.14) and the conclusions indicate that the results of the procedure are consistent as long as the parameters are under control: {\parindent=0.7cm\begin{itemize}\item[--] pre-processing factors: the amount of the white space, the position of the image, the resolution of the image (dpi), \item[--] processing factors: the ratio by which the successive grids are reduced in size, the location, the proportions and the size of the grids, in particular the starting grid and the closing grid, \item[--] post processing factors: statistical divergence and the error characterization \end{itemize}} This book is a notable evidence that abstract concepts from modern mathematics can find their use in a debate regarded applied sciences and hopefully, the idea of using the fractal dimension to analyze architectural designs will be continued in the future. In particular, a 3-dimensional analysis of cities appears to be a natural continuation of the work, as it reflects human experience of the urban space.