Atractor Interactive Mathematics
This film illustrates how the great majority of seahells existing in
nature can be generated by a fixed set of equations by simply
varying some parameters. This gives one more example of how the
apparent complexity one sees in nature may have a much simpler
mathematical inner structure. The film “The math of shells” is
divided in two parts: first, we can observe the role of the
different parameters of the mathematical model; and then, after
obtaining a first model of a seashell – a whelk –, the film goes on,
illustrating a process to build sequentially seven other models of
real seashells, by changing the values of the parameters. At the
very end, some other examples of real seashells obtained by other
changes of the parameters are briefly displayed. Remark: this film
does not intend to convey an idea of the actual order of the
evolution of seashells. (see also
www. atractor.pt/mat/conchas/index-_en.html)