分维的观念现在被应用于不同的领域,通常人们在处理形状不规则的微妙物体时,便要用到分维的概念。分维的概念已经运用于地理学,在这方面的先例为曼德尔布罗特用分维来研究海岸和河流的形状。最近分维的概念也被应用于城镇的扩张与增长,阿林豪斯、古德柴尔德及马克也讨论了分形(fractals)在地理学中的重要性。 The concept of fractal dimension is now applied to different fields. Usually people use the concept of fractal dimension when dealing with delicate and irregularly shaped objects. The concept of fractal dimension has been applied to geography. A precedent in this regard is the use of fractal dimension by Mandelbrot to study the shape of the coast and the river. The recent concept of fractal dimension has also been applied to the expansion and growth of towns, and Alinhaus, Goodchild and Mark also discussed the importance of fractals in geography.