What makes a tree a tree? Or rather, why can we recognize trees in even quite abstract depictions when they are so varied in nature? Researchers have found a clue in the branches, and used math to ...

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Trees depicted in the artwork of famous painters like Leonardo da Vinci and Piet Mondrian follow the math behind their branching pattern in nature, a new study says. This hidden math in some abstract ...

Piet Mondrian painted the same tree in "The gray tree" (left) and "Blooming apple tree" (right). Viewers can readily discern the tree in "The gray tree" with a branch diameter scaling exponent of 2.8.