RIP: Benoît Mandelbrot 1924-2010

The New York Times reported that Benoît Mandelbrot died on Thursday.

Thanks to Improbable Research and the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, I met him. Thanks to an Ig BBQ a couple of years back, debgeisler knows he liked her cookies. Thanks to Ig Photographer Richard Baguley, there's a fabulous photo of Benoit Mandelbrot smiling down at Miss Sweetie Poo. The video has a different angle, but you can see the sheer glow of anticipation in the man's face as he concluded his keynote address at the Igs last year. The whole keynote speech starts at 29:00 minutes in the second segment of the 2009 Ig Nobel Ceremony video and the conclusion and part of his interaction with Miss Sweetie Poo at 5:56 on Improbable TV Collection #129, The Best of Miss Sweetie Poo.

I am saddened by Benoît Mandelbrot's death, and even more saddened by the pancreatic cancer that caused it, I'm also filled with joy at having ever met the man as well as for the beauty and wonder revealed in his life's work. My condolences to this wife, sons, and family, friends, and admirers around the world.

Note: The fabulous Mandelbrot fractal image in my user icon is by Orson Wang.