The universality of fractals implies that very different physical processes can give rise to similar complex spatial patterns. Sinkholes (dolines) and galaxies provide a striking example of this universality. If each sinkhole in a karst massif is represented by a point, and each galaxy in a given zone of the sky is represented by a point, and these point sets are projected onto planes, the resulting two-dimensional point fields are indistinguishable. Spatial statistics have been used to compare sinkhole fields from four karst massifs in Spain with the projected maps of galaxies and to quantify the similarity of their spatial patterns. The spatial patterns of sinkholes are largely determined by the intersections of geological fractures, whereas astrophysicists and cosmologists hypothesise that galaxy clusters form at the intersections of filaments of dark matter. These are very different physical controls that result in similar spatial patterns.

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关于污水坑和星系：分形普遍性的一个例子

分形的普遍性意味着非常不同的物理过程会引起相似的复杂空间模式。污水坑（do线）和星系提供了这种普遍性的鲜明例子。如果喀斯特地块中的每个下沉洞都由一个点表示，并且天空的给定区域中的每个星系都由一个点表示，并且这些点集投影到平面上，则产生的二维点场是无法区分的。空间统计数据已用于将西班牙四个喀斯特地貌的下沉场与预计的星系图进行比较，并量化其空间模式的相似性。塌陷的空间格局主要取决于地质裂缝的交集，而天体物理学家和宇宙学家则认为，星系团簇是在暗物质细丝的交点处形成的。这些是非常不同的物理控制，导致相似的空间模式。