UC Santa Barbara

We present the first 3D algorithm capable of answering the question: what would a Mandelbrot-like set in the shape of a bunny look like? More concretely, can we find an iterated quaternion rational map whose potential field contains an isocontour with a desired shape? We show that it is possible to answer this question by casting it as a shape optimization that discovers novel, highly complex shapes. The problem can be written as an energy minimization, the optimization can be made practical by using an efficient method for gradient evaluation, and convergence can be accelerated by using a variety of multi-resolution strategies. The resulting shapes are not invariant under common operations such as translation, and instead undergo intricate, non-linear transformations.