Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
The Sierpinski triangle is a fractal formed by recursively removing equilateral triangles from a larger equilateral triangle. It exhibits self-similarity and has a dimension that is not an integer.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
The Sierpinski triangle is created through an iterative process of removing triangular sections, starting with a single equilateral triangle.
It is an example of a fractal, meaning it shows self-similarity at different scales.
The area of the Sierpinski triangle approaches zero as the number of iterations approaches infinity.
Its Hausdorff dimension is given by $\frac{\log 3}{\log 2} \approx 1.585$.
In terms of infinite series, the creation process can be related to geometric series, where each iteration reduces the area by a factor.
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Related terms
Fractal: A complex geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reduced-scale copy of the whole.
A series with a constant ratio between successive terms.
\textbackslash{}textit\{\textbackslash{}Hausdorff Dimension\}: \textbackslash{}textit\{\textbackslash{}A measure of how completely a fractal appears to fill space, calculated using logarithmic functions.\}