Every week for a year Coulton released a new song for free on his website as part of his Thing a Week podcast, on topics as diverse as vengeful nerds, self-loathing giant squid, partially-imagined historical figures, and devotees of a certain Swedish prefab furniture store. The Thing a Week project is now complete, and all songs can be streamed from his official website. Many of the songs on the site can be downloaded for free. The song "Code Monkey" became the theme song to the G4 television show Code Monkeys.
Coulton's song "Still Alive" has been featured in Valve Software's game Portal (and has become a hit among the gamers who finished the game) . He also made a recording of this song called the "J.C. Mix" which is exactly the same except he is singing rather than Ellen McLain as GLaDOS. "Still Alive" went on to be featured in the game Rock Band, as well as Skullcrusher Mountain and Re: Your Brains
Mandelbrot Set
Jonathan Coulton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every one of them is a splinter in my eye
I hate the Peano Space and the Koch Curve
I fear the Cantor Ternary Set And the Sierpinski Gasket makes me want to cry
And a million miles away a butterfly flapped its wings
On a cold November day a man named Benoit Mandelbrot was born
His disdain for pure mathematics and his unique geometrical insights
He saw that infinite complexity could be described by simple rules
He used his giant brain to turn the game around
And he looked below the storm and saw a vision in his head
A bulbous pointy form
He picked his pencil up and he wrote his secret down
Take a point called Z in the complex plane
Let Z1 be Z squared plus see
And Z2 is Z1 squared plus see
And Z3 is Z2 squared plus see and so on
If the series of Z's should always stay
Close to Z and never trend away
That point is in the Mandelbrot Set
Mandelbrot Set you're a Rorschach Test on fire
You're a day-glo pterodactyl
You're a heart-shaped box of springs and wire
You're one badass fucking fractal
And you're just in time to save the day
Sweeping all our fears away
You can change the world in a tiny way
Mandelbrot's in heaven, at least he will be when he's dead
Right now he's still alive and teaching math at Yale
He gave us order out of chaos, he gave us hope where there was none
And his geometry succeeds where others fail
If you ever lose your way, a butterfly will flap its wings
From a million miles away, a little miracle will come to take you home
Just take a point called Z in the complex plane
Let Z1 be Z squared plus see
And Z2 is Z1 squared plus see
And Z3 is Z2 squared plus see and so on
If the series of Z's should always stay
Close to Z and never trend away
That point is in the Mandelbrot Set
Mandelbrot Set you're a Rorschach Test on fire
You're a day-glo pterodactyl
You're a heart-shaped box of springs and wire
You're one badass fucking fractal
And you're just in time to save the day
Sweeping all our fears away
You can change the world in a tiny way
And you're just in time to save the day
Sweeping all our fears away
You can change the world in a tiny way
Go on change the world in a tiny way
Come on change the world in a tiny way
The lyrics of Jonathan Coulton's "Mandelbrot Set" are both playful and insightful, as they describe the unique mathematical insights of Benoit Mandelbrot, the father of fractal geometry. The frightened mathematician in the song is overwhelmed by the complexity of pure mathematics, referring to certain concepts as "splinters" in his eyes. However, Mandelbrot approaches the same concepts with a sense of wonder and curiosity, ultimately uncovering simple rules that allow for the description of infinite complexity.
The song describes Mandelbrot's key insights and the equation that describes his fractal, the Mandelbrot Set, in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. The refrain, "Mandelbrot Set you're a Rorschach Test on fire/You're a day-glo pterodactyl/You're a heart-shaped box of springs and wire/You're one badass fucking fractal," captures the sense of awe and admiration that many have for Mandelbrot's work.
The final verse of the song touches on the philosophical implications of fractal geometry, suggesting that small actions can have big consequences, echoing the idea of the butterfly effect. The song ultimately celebrates the power of mathematics to reveal beauty and order in the seemingly chaotic world.
Line by Line Meaning
Pathological monsters! cried the terrified mathematician
The mathematician is terrified of the complex shapes in mathematics and sees them as monsters.
Every one of them is a splinter in my eye
The mathematician feels intense pain and irritation from dealing with the complex shapes.
I hate the Peano Space and the Koch Curve
The mathematician has a strong dislike for certain notorious shapes in mathematics.
I fear the Cantor Ternary Set And the Sierpinski Gasket makes me want to cry
The mathematician is afraid of certain other complex shapes and feels overwhelmed and emotional when dealing with them.
And a million miles away a butterfly flapped its wings
A small event (like a butterfly flapping its wings) can lead to large effects elsewhere (like the birth of Benoit Mandelbrot).
On a cold November day a man named Benoit Mandelbrot was born
Benoit Mandelbrot was born on a November day, and he would go on to make significant contributions to mathematics and fractals.
His disdain for pure mathematics and his unique geometrical insights
Mandelbrot had a unique perspective on math and a different approach to geometry, which set him apart from others.
Left him well equipped to face those demons down
His different approach and skills made him able to handle the complex shapes that others feared and struggled with.
He saw that infinite complexity could be described by simple rules
Mandelbrot realized that even the most complex shapes could be broken down into simple rules.
He used his giant brain to turn the game around
Mandelbrot used his intelligence and creativity to make significant advancements in math and fractals.
And he looked below the storm and saw a vision in his head
He was able to see beyond the complexity and discover patterns and beauty in the shapes.
A bulbous pointy form
A specific type of shape in the Mandelbrot Set.
He picked his pencil up and he wrote his secret down
Mandelbrot recorded his discoveries and insights so that others could learn from them.
Take a point called Z in the complex plane
Instructions on how to determine if a point is in the Mandelbrot Set.
Let Z1 be Z squared plus see
A specific formula to apply to Z to determine if it is in the set.
If the series of Z's should always stay close to Z and never trend away
If the value of Z does not diverge to infinity, then it is in the Mandelbrot Set.
Mandelbrot Set you're a Rorschach Test on fire
The Mandelbrot Set can be interpreted in many different ways and gives rise to a lot of creative expression.
You're a day-glo pterodactyl
A colorful and unique shape in the Mandelbrot Set.
You're a heart-shaped box of springs and wire
Another unique and creative description of a shape in the Mandelbrot Set.
You're one badass fucking fractal
The Mandelbrot Set is a very cool and impressive fractal shape.
And you're just in time to save the day
The discovery of the Mandelbrot Set came at a time when there was a lot of uncertainty and chaos in the world, and it helped provide some clarity and understanding.
Sweeping all our fears away
The discovery of the Mandelbrot Set helped dispel some of the fears and confusion around complex shapes in math.
You can change the world in a tiny way
The Mandelbrot Set and fractals have had a significant impact on fields like computer graphics and image compression, demonstrating how even small discoveries can have big effects.
Mandelbrot's in heaven, at least he will be when he's dead
Mandelbrot is an important figure in math and will likely be remembered and celebrated for a long time.
Right now he's still alive and teaching math at Yale
At the time this song was written, Mandelbrot was still alive and actively teaching at Yale University.
He gave us order out of chaos, he gave us hope where there was none
Mandelbrot's discoveries helped provide some structure and understanding to previously chaotic and confusing areas of mathematics.
And his geometry succeeds where others fail
Mandelbrot's approach to geometry and math was unique and allowed him to make significant contributions to the field.
If you ever lose your way, a butterfly will flap its wings
A small event, like a butterfly flapping its wings, can still have important consequences and lead to significant discoveries.
From a million miles away, a little miracle will come to take you home
Even if things seem far off or unlikely, there is always a chance for a positive outcome or discovery.
Go on change the world in a tiny way
Encouragement to make small but meaningful changes that can have big impacts over time.
Come on change the world in a tiny way
Further encouragement to take action and make positive changes, no matter how small they may seem.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K. Ulvaeus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind