Accuracy analysis of the box-counting algorithm

Abstract

Accuracy of the box-counting algorithm for numerical computation of the fractal exponents is investigated. To this end several sample mathematical fractal sets are analyzed. It is shown that the standard deviation obtained for the fit of the fractal scaling in the log-log plot strongly underestimates the actual error. The real computational error was found to have power scaling with respect to the number of data points in the sample ($n_{tot}$). For fractals embedded in two-dimensional space the error is larger than for those embedded in one-dimensional space. For fractal functions the error is even larger. Obtained formula can give more realistic estimates for the computed generalized fractal exponents' accuracy.