Three operations

https://situatingmathematics.com/0intro3

This was an experiment in generating a shared understanding of a subtle idea by active engagement with and manipulation of an interactive environment. I built a notation system out of a selection of everyday objects and hand gestures, and developed three distinct operations whose inputs and outcomes could be represented in that system. I then built an interactive website in which a visitor could click through each of the functions and experiment with them in a variety of different ways in order to get a sense of what each one consisted in, and then to decide for themselves how it might be extended and what the results would be. The website offers no instruction, just an environment that will respond to clicks so that a visitor can test out actions and see the results, and in so doing come to a working knowledge that they then are prepared to extend.