Mathematical functions in our environment

Clever.

On a semi-related note, does anyone know if there is a mathematical function that describes the shape of the inside of a curling wave? I see what I think is the same shape in basically every surfing shot of someone "shooting the tube", and have always wondered if there was an elegant (or even any) formula that describes that shape.

It's nice to think that every plant has some mathematical formula encoded within it's genes:

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=polar+r+%3D+%28sin%28th...

but given a shape, what's the easiest way to find the formula. Is there automated tools to do this from picture files?

> f(x) = 1/3(x^3 + y^3) = 6xy

Pesky algebraic geometry. Get out of my graph!