Algorithm: An algorithm is a precisely defined set of rules for doing something.  A cooking recipe is an algorithm.  If it is carefully written, then anytime it is followed, one should always get exactly the same result.  A well known mathematical algorithm is long division.

Converge: A sequence is said to converge when the entries in the sequence get closer and closer to a number.  For example, the sequence 1, 1.9, 1.99, 1.999, ... converges to 2.  Note that the terms in the sequence don't have to equal 2; we still say that the sequence converges to 2.

Digital Art:  This is the subject of About Digital Art.

Fine Digital Imagery:  This is a generic term that is discussed in FAQ.

Fractal Image: A fractal image is a picture that is created using certain types of mathematical/computer algorithms.  For a more detailed description see About Fractal Images.

Function:  A function is a specific type of algorithm.  For each number it assigns another number.  Think of it as a dedicated calculator, that can only perform one specific operation: you key in one number, a calculation is performed and out pops the answer.  For example, the square function is an example of a function.

Infinity: When we say that a sequence goes to infinity, we mean that the numbers in the sequence increase without bound.  This means that for a sequence of positive numbers, no matter how large a number you can think of, call it n, if you go far out enough in the sequence, all of the rest of the numbers in the sequence will be larger than n.  

Lenticular Lens: A specially designed piece of plastic that, when placed over an image that has been properly prepared, gives the image a three dimensional appearance.  More info here.

Megapixel: A megapixel is 2²⁰ pixels. That is, 1,048,576 pixels.

Pixel: This "word" is short for "picture element". The image on your computer monitor is made up of colored dots called pixels.  If the resolution of your system is set for 800x600 then there are 480,000 of these dots.  Each pixel in your monitor is actually a cluster of three small holes, through which red, green and blue phosphors are lighted. Each of the three colors can have 256 levels of intensity.  This gives us the possibility of over 16 million colors per pixel.  The pixel's colors can be saved as data in a computer file and then utilized by a printer to reproduce the image.

Plane: This term refers to the plane that you studied in high school geometry. A fractal image is a visualization of a mathematical algorithm, applied to the points on a portion of the plane.

Ray Tracing: A description of this technique for rendering three dimensional scenes is covered in About Digital Art, with links to a detailed explanation.

Render: The actual process whereby the computer calculates the colors of each pixel in the image. The colored pixels are saved as data in a file.  A rendered image suitable for printing will contain millions of pixels and the rendering process can take from a few seconds to several hours.

Square Function: The square function simply takes a number and multiplies it by itself. So, the square of 3 is 9, the square of -2 is 4.  The square of a complex number x+iy is ( x + iy)·( x + iy) which is equal to x² - y² + 2ixy.

Sequence: In this context, a sequence is simply a list of infinitely many numbers, separated by commas. For example: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, ... is a sequence.  The "..." means that the pattern established by the first few entries in the list is continued forever. 

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