In mathematics, a self-similar object is exactly or approximately similar to a part of itself (i.e., the whole has the same shape as one or more of its components). Many objects in the real world, such as a Romanesco broccoli, are statistically self-similar - parts of them show the same statistical properties at many scales:
By this definition, the supporting structure of the table is self-similar (as can be seen by looking through the translucent top):
If this self-similarity were continued indefinitely, one might end up with a surface similar to a Vicsek fractal (which has the surprising property of zero surface area with infinite perimeter):
