The DOI matches its Crossref record; 21 of the 21 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A generic geometric transformation that unifies a wide range of natural and abstract shapes
Abstract
To study forms in plants and other living organisms, several mathematical tools are available, most of which are general tools that do not take into account valuable biological information. In this report I present a new geometrical approach for modeling and understanding various abstract, natural, and man‐made shapes. Starting from the concept of the circle, I show that a large variety of shapes can be described by a single and simple geometrical equation, the Superformula. Modification of the parameters permits the generation of various natural polygons. For example, applying the equation to logarithmic or trigonometric functions modifies the metrics of these functions and all associated graphs. As a unifying framework, all these shapes are proven to be circles in their internal metrics, and the Superformula provides the precise mathematical relation between Euclidean measurements and the internal non‐Euclidean metrics of shapes. Looking beyond Euclidean circles and Pythagorean measures reveals a novel and powerful way to study natural forms and phenomena.
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Cites
The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants
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Superquadrics and Angle-Preserving Transformations
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Biometrics, biomathematics and the morphometric synthesis
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The Algorithmic Beauty of Sea Shells
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Radical alterations in the roles of homeobox genes during echinoderm evolution
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Cited by
Motion Silences Awareness of Visual Change
Suchow, J. W., & Alvarez, G. A. (2011) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2010.12.019 · Cited by 121
Calculation of the radiative properties of photosynthetic microorganisms
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Metadata
- Authors
- Gielis, J.
- Venue
- American Journal of Botany
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-03
- Volume
- 90
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 333-338
- ISSN
- 0002-9122 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-2197
- OpenAlex
- W2141270723
- Cited by
- 585
- References
- 21
- FWCI
- 16.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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