Atractor

Abstract

This paper describes the methodology used by Atractor Association in its efforts to communicate ideas and relevant results of Mathematics to non-specialists. This description is illustrated with numerous examples of interactive exhibits, both virtual and non-virtual, created in the belief that interactivity is an important factor in the involvement of the target audience. Some examples of non-virtual exhibits, such as a large Ames Room, the three conical billiards or the slit hyperboloid, by their size or difficulty of construction are costly and require a large space; however others are quite simple and can easily be reproduced, even in small schools or groups. The list of examples of virtual exhibits, all produced by Atractor, ends with a reference to the DVD ‘Symmetry—the dynamical way’ and to the program GeCla, which allows the generation of friezes, patterns and rosettes and the assisted classification thereof, also including the possibility of competition via the Internet.