Procedural generation

A method of creating data algorithmically as opposed to manually. In computer graphics it is commonly used for creating textures. In game world creation it is used for creating large amounts of content in a game. Advantages of procedural generation include smaller file sizes, larger amounts of content, and randomness for less predictable gameplay. Sound can also be generated this way. The term procedural refers to the process that computes a particular function. Fractals, an example of procedural generation, express this concept, around which a whole body of mathematics - fractal geometry - has been developed. [source: Wikipedia]