Fractal Dimension Analysis — first described by Benoit Mandelbrot in 1967 to show how fractals form in nature
More information
See also:
Benoit Mandelbrot — Wikipedia entry
How Long is the Coast of Britain — pdf file of Mandelbrot’s paper on fracals in nature
The Math Behind NUMB3RS — site produced by Wolfram Research specific to episodes they consult on for math concepts.