Here’s an equilateral triangle divided into six smaller triangles:

Equilateral triangle divided into six irregular triangles (Stage #1)
Now keep on dividing:

Stage #2

Stage #3

Stage #4

Stage #5

Equilateral triangle dividing into six irregular triangles (animated)
But what happens if you divide the triangle, then discard some of the sub-triangles, then repeat? You get a self-similar shape called a fractal:

Divide-and-discard stage #1

Stage #2

Stage #3

Stage #4

Stage #5

Stage #6

Triangle fractal (animated)
Here’s another example:

Divide-and-discard stage #1

Stage #2

Stage #3

Stage #4

Stage #5

Stage #6

Stage #7

Triangle fractal (animated)
You can also delay the divide-and-discard to create a more symmetrical fractal, like this:

Delayed divide-and-discard stage #1

Stage #2

Stage #3

Stage #4

Stage #5

Stage #6

Stage #7

Triangle fractal (animated)
What next? You can use trigonometry to turn the cramped triangle into a circle:

Triangular fractal
⇓

Circular fractal
(Open in new window for full image)

Triangle-to-circle (animated)
Here’s another example:

Triangular fractal
⇓

Circular fractal

Triangle-to-circle (animated)
And below are some more circular fractals converted from triangular fractals. Some of them look like distorted skulls or transdimensional Lovecraftian monsters:

(Open in new window for full image)
















Previous Pre-Posted
• Circus Trix — an earlier look at sextally-divided-equilateral-triangle fractals