The Fractal Dimension of ZIP Codes

[littlemissmartypants]

ZIP codes have been around for less than fifty years. In addition to allowing future historians to ascertain that the television show “Beverly Hills 90210? must have been created no earlier than 1963, ZIP codes have become part of our culture, organizing our locations and determining the flow of mail.

But ZIP codes are not created randomly. There is an order and a structure to this mail system. Let’s use this nearly-fifty-year anniversary as an opportunity to examine the quantitative aspects of ZIP codes.

One quick way to look at ZIP codes is by seeing how each part of a ZIP code defines a part of our country. Ben Fry, of Fathom, created a simple visualization called zipdecode to do just this. As you type each successive digit of a ZIP code and see what regions of the United States it describes. For example, if you’re typing in 64110 (Kansas City), you can see what parts of the United States begin with ‘6’.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/01/the-fractal-dimension-of-zip-codes/?utm_source=Contextly&utm_medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=Previous



http://eagereyes.org/zipscribble-maps/united-states

[napoleon_in_rags]

1. Sush Wired!

We wouldn't want people to know that there are rational, mathematical methods for drawing districts other than having political operatives from whoever just got elected draw them by hand, now would we? I mean, what fun would politics be without gerrymandering?

[Electric Monk]

3. What if a broad enough sample had politial operatives drawing it by hand look mathematical?

I haven't had time to compare yet. I'm gonna click the link now, read some, then head off to bed.

[adieu]

2. You could also use social security number assignment

for location and time. That would give it a three dimensional space to fill out with the SSN.