> That is, it's just a competition on who makes the
> prettiest image about a given subject. There's no real challenge
> which would make it markedly different from the IRTC.

First, it goes without saying that not everyone will be interested
in every competition....for example, I rarely enter the IRTC.

However in defence of this particular contest, there can indeed
be a significant challenge in representing many fractal forms. The
challenge normally comes in the form of the memory required for
the geometric data needed to represent fractals that in their
"pure" mathematical form have infinite detail. 

For example, consider some of the clever methods that were discussed 
a few weeks ago in this group on how to render the attractor I 
entered into the SCC3
   http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/fractals/peterdejong/

I certainly found it difficult to create the sphere positins for 
the Apollonian fractal
   http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/fractals/apollony/
The last images on that page have over 3 million spheres.

I would suggest that another challenge in this competition will
be to find something new. Everyone has seen quaternions and they 
can certainly be made sexy, perhaps though a "new" fractal will
catch peoples eye more. (?). ps: I don't mean to discourage those
who are working on sexy quaternions.
-- 
Paul Bourke
pdb_NOSPAMswin.edu.au

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