The Magic Machine: A Handbook of Computer Sorcery

388 Pages·1990·56.699 MB·English

by  A. K. Dewdney

1
THE
MACHINE
T
A Handbook of Computer Sorcery
-r-
-r
A.K . DEWDNEY
More Programming Recreations from
Scientific American Magazine

/
The Magic Machine
A HanMook of Computer Sorcery

The Magic Machine
A Handbook of Computer Sorcerif
A.K .D ewdney
W. H. Freeman and Company
New York
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dewdney, A. K.
The magic machine: A handbook of computer sorcery /A, K. Dewdney.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-7167-2125-2 (hardcover); 0-7167-2144-9 (paperback)
1. Microcomputers—Programming. 2. Computer software.
3. Computer graphics. I. Title
QA76.6.D5173 1990
794.8T536 —dc20 90-31250
CIP
Copyright © 1990 by A. K. Dewdney
No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic,
or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording, nor may
it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise copied for
public or private use, without written permission from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
234567890 V 9987654321
Dedicated with respect and affection
to
John Francis Hart
Computer scientist and philosopher

Contents
xi
Prologue
o
o Spell One
Conjuring Up Chaos 1
1 Mandelbrot Magic 3
2 Visions of Julia 17
3 Mandelbrew and Mandelbus 28
4 T he Strange Attractions of Chaos 38
5 Catching Biomorphs 49
o Spell Two o
Weird Machines 59
6 Vehicles of Thought 61
7 T he Apraphulian Wonder 73
8 Atomic Computers 85
9 P aradoxical Gold 94
vu
●via Contents
o
Spell Three o
Deus Ex Machina 105
10 Fractal Mountains and Graftal Plants 107
118
11 Hodgepodge Reactions
12 The Demons of Cyclic Space 132
13 Slow Growths 141
151
14 Programmed Parties
15 Palmiter’s Protozoa 161
o Spell Four o
177
Puzzling Landscapes
16 Mazes and Minotaurs 179
17 People Puzzles 189
18 Panning for Primes 200
19 Trains of Thought 211
20 Prosodic Programs 222
21 The Martian Dictionary 233
o
Spell Five o
245
Mathemagical Movies
22 Special FX 247
23 Balls in Boxes 258
24 The Invisible Professor 269
o Spell Six o
281
Battles of the Magi
283
25 The Enigma and the Bombe
26 Computers in the Crypt 294