ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Fractal flame

Okay kiddo, have you ever seen a snowflake and noticed how it looks like a tiny intricate pattern? That's because it's a fractal! And a fractal flame is like a super cool math formula that can make all sorts of amazing, intricate patterns that look kinda like fire.

You see, this formula creates an image by starting with a basic shape, like a triangle or a square, and then repeating that shape over and over again but with small variations. Each time it repeats, it gets smaller and smaller, which makes the pattern look more detailed and complex.

But what's really neat about a fractal flame is that the variations aren't random - they're actually based on some really fancy math stuff called chaos theory. Basically, it means that even though the pattern is super intricate and complex, it's still made up of simple rules and patterns that repeat over and over again.

And the best part? With a fractal flame, you can play around with the rules and variations to create all sorts of different patterns and designs. So it's a bit like being a super creative mathematician! Pretty cool, huh?