FRACTALIST

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the 100-th anniversary of the birth of Benoit Mandelbrot, the man who coined the word ''fractal'' and, in fact, became the author of a new direction in science - fractal geometry. The article briefly presents his biography, discusses the definition of the concept of fractal. Some attention is paid to Mandelbrot's predecessors and it is considered that it was B. Mandelbrot, thanks to his erudition and encyclopedic knowledge, who was able to systematize a huge number of previously known and newly discovered fractals. Today, fractals constitute an important section of modern science. This is Mandelbrot's main merit. His works continue to inspire researchers and artists, proving that mathematics is not only a tool for understanding the Universe, but also a source of beauty and creativity.