Perseus, Argos, Andromeda, King, Cepheus, Cetus, Cassiopea, nymphs, Medusa, Graeae, snakeheaded, Athena, Gaston, Julia, Pierre, Fatou, complex, analysis, fractal, fractals

THE MYTH
Perseus, the hero of Argos, fell in love with the beautiful Andromeda, who was offered by her father, King Cepheus as appeasement to a sea monster, Cetus, for her mother Cassiopea's insolence to the sea nymphs. Perseus can only rescue her by first slaying the Medusa, one of the Graeae, whom no one could look upon without being turned to stone. Perseus slew the snakeheaded Medusa by showing her her own reflection in a mirrored shield given to him by Athena. He then petrified Cetus by forcing him to look upon Medusa's head.

THE MATH

Gaston Julia (1892-1978)
Julia's publications with Pierre Fatou are masterpieces of classic complex analysis, greatly admired by mathematicians but exceedingly difficult to build upon. Their work on self-referential iteration led directly to fractals.

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Perseus, Argos, Andromeda, King, Cepheus, Cetus, Cassiopea, nymphs, Medusa, Graeae, snakeheaded, Athena, Gaston, Julia, Pierre, Fatou, complex, analysis, fractal, fractals