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 ...

(CNN) — Trees depicted in famous artworks across a range of styles follow the same mathematical rules as their real-life counterparts, scientists have found. The math concept hidden in this tree art — ...

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.