The Buddhabrot Set is a re-visualization of the familiar Mandelbrot Set using a technique invented by Melinda Green. Instead of selecting points on the real-complex plane, initial points are selected at random from the image region. The point is iterated through the function, z = zˆ2 + c, where z has components in both the real and imaginary planes.
If the particle escapes (exits the viewing area with high speed), its path is reiterated, exposing its position onto the image surface with each step. In this fashion, areas of dense particle travel appear bright white. The result is an amazing universe of structure, spirituality, and mathematical intrigue.
bailout value 200
bailout value 2000
bailout value 20000
The extent at which a particle is judged to have escaped is variable. Changing this value produces drastically different results. In the three images above, the bailout (escape value) has been set at three consecutive powers of 10.
Green makes another suggestion about how one might color the Buddhabrot while increasing the data represented in the image. Simply assign each color channel (red, green, blue) the rendering results of different bailouts, similar to the way light is collected and combined with an optical space telescope. Astonishingly, this holographic technique of rendering the Buddhabrot generates images reminiscent of distant cosmic structures as viewed by the Hubble Space Telescope.
100 billion pixel exposures, bailout value of 20, three hours desktop processing time, reduced 80%
20 billion pixel exposures, bailout value of 200, three hours desktop processing time, reduced 80%
5 billion pixel exposures, bailout value of 20,000, three hours desktop processing time, reduced 80%
Jared Tarbell and large format Buddhabrot print.
A large format gallery quality print of the Buddha.Brot composited with galatic data from the Hubble Space Telescope is available for sale.
Open edition. Black and white giclée on acid-free heavyweight watercolor paper.
Titled and signed by the programmer, Jared Tarbell.
A super collage from three exponential bail out values combined with NASA’s Hubble Deep Field survey.
