Reading ComprehensionDifficulty: Easy

PT129 S4 P4 Q24 Explanation

Fractal Geometry

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Reading Comprehension question.

TopicsLocate DetailScience

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Passage

Fractal geometry is a mathematical theory devoted to the study of complex shapes called fractals. Although an exact definition of fractals has not been established, fractals commonly exhibit the property of self-similarity: the reiteration of irregular details or patterns at progressively smaller scales so that each part, when magnified, looks basically like and then the process is repeated indefinitely on the segments at each stage of the construction.

Self-similarity is built into the construction process by treating segments at each stage the same way as the original segment was treated. Since the rules for getting from one stage to another are fully explicit and always the same, images of successive stages of the process can be generated by computer. Theoretically, illustrates a major attraction of fractal geometry: simple processes can be responsible for incredibly complex patterns.

A worldwide public has become captivated by fractal geometry after viewing astonishing computer-generated images of fractals; enthusiastic practitioners in the field of fractal geometry consider it a new language for describing complex natural and mathematical forms. They anticipate that fractal geometry's significance will rival that of calculus and expect that proficiency in in mathematics only if it becomes a precise language supporting a system of theorems and proofs.

What this question is testing

Locate Detail

Your task

Pin down exactly what the question asks about the passage — a detail, the author's view, the structure, or the main point — before looking at the choices.

Common trap

Answers that restate a true detail from the passage but don't answer the specific question being asked.

Winning move

Anticipate the answer in your own words from the passage, then find the choice that matches that prediction.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
24.

Which one of the following does the author present as a characteristic

Answer choices

  1. Trap4% picked this

    It is potentially much more important

  2. Trap1% picked this

    Its role in traditional mathematics will expand as computers

  3. Trap1% picked this

    It is the fastest-growing field of

  4. Trap4% picked this

    It encourages the use of computer programs to prove

  5. Correct88% picked this

    It enables geometers to generate complex forms using

    Why this is right

    Answer E is correct.

    Skill tested: Locate Detail · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

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