Citation
How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension
TL;DR
Coastline length depends on measurement scale - there is no single 'true' length
Mandelbrot's seminal paper introduced the concept that natural structures exhibit self-similarity across scales and can have non-integer dimensions. By showing that coastline length depends on measurement scale (shorter rulers measure longer coastlines), he demonstrated that Euclidean geometry fails to describe natural complexity.
This insight underpins the entire chapter's application of fractal thinking to organizations. If natural structures like coastlines, mountains, and vascular networks are fractal, and organizations solve similar resource distribution problems, then organizational structures should exhibit similar fractal properties.
Key Findings from Mandelbrot (1967)
- Coastline length depends on measurement scale - there is no single 'true' length
- Natural structures exhibit statistical self-similarity across scales
- Fractal dimension provides a measure of structural complexity between integer dimensions