Aligned Resources

Common Core State Standards
Number and Quantity
The Complex Number System
Represent complex numbers and their operations on the complex plane.

Lessons  •  Activities  •  Show All

Lessons (1)

The Mandelbrot Set

Introduces all of the 2 variable function and prisoner/escapee notions necessary to understand the Mandelbrot set.

Audiences: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Undergraduate

Primary Subjects: Discrete, Geometry, Number and Operations

Related Topics: chaos, complex number, coordinate, coordinate plane, coordinate system, division, escape, exponents, fractals, functions, geometric sequences, geometry, infinity, iteration, julia set, mandelbrot set, multiplication, pattern, planes, prisoner, radius, recursion, recursive functions, self-similarity, sets, symmetry

Activities (3)

Screenshot of Julia Sets
Julia Sets

Enter a complex value for "c" in the form of an ordered pair of real numbers. The applet draws the fractal Julia set for that seed value.

Audiences: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Undergraduate

Primary Subjects: Discrete, Fractions, Geometry, Number and Operations

Related Topics: complex number, coordinate plane, coordinate system, fractals, iteration, julia set, mandelbrot set, recursion, recursive functions, sets

Screenshot of The Mandelbrot Set
The Mandelbrot Set

Explore fractals by investigating the relationships between the Mandelbrot set and Julia sets.

Audiences: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Undergraduate

Primary Subjects: Discrete, Fractions, Geometry, Number and Operations

Related Topics: chaos, complex number, coordinate, coordinate plane, exponents, fractals, functions, geometric sequences, geometry, iteration, julia set, mandelbrot set, pattern, recursion, recursive functions, self-similarity, sets

Screenshot of Two Variable Function Pump
Two Variable Function Pump

Enter two complex numbers (z and c) as ordered pairs of real numbers, then click a button to iterate step by step. The iterates are graphed in the x-y plane and printed out in table form. This is an introduction to the idea of prisoners/escapees in iterated functions and the calculation of fractal Julia sets.

Audiences: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Undergraduate

Primary Subjects: Algebra, Geometry, Graphs, Number and Operations

Related Topics: complex number, coordinate plane, coordinate system, exponents, fractals, functions, graph, infinity, iteration, julia set, mandelbrot set, recursion, recursive functions, sets