Geometry Explorer can easily be used to access Web-based
information.
There is an Internet browser built in to the program that allows
hyperlinks
to Web pages to be inserted directly into a geometry construction. The
Help system consists of a series of inter-linked Web pages that are
accessed
via the built-in browser. (You do not need to be
connected
to the Internet to use the Help system.)
Non-Euclidean geometry can easily be explored using Geometry Explorer. Constructions can be carried out in a Euclidean or non-Euclidean (Hyperbolic, Elliptic, or Spherical Geometry) environment using the same user interface. Almost all actions that apply in the Euclidean environment can be carried out in the non-Euclidean environment (with a few important exceptions that depend on the parallel postulate).
Fractal geometry can be explored using turtle graphics and grammatical descriptions of fractals. In turtle graphics, one controls a "turtle" on the screen by telling it to move, draw, rotate, change color, etc. Grammar-based descriptions of fractals encapsulate a fractal's structure by sentences of symbols. These sentences can then be interpreted as a series of turtle actions.
Analytic Geometry can be explored in a dynamic fashion. Graphs of functions can be constructed and then changed dynamically based on parameters. Points can be attached to graphs allowing for the study of tangents and reflection properties. "Cobweb" diagrams for iterated functions can be easily created and updated dynamically.
Geometry Explorer is designed to assist the classroom teacher. Text areas can be created on the screen so that additional information can be included with a construction. If a large amount of textual information must accompany a construction, this can be included in a separate Notebook with the construction. Web pages can be referenced directly from the Geometry Explorer window. A fully functional calculator is included for carrying out detailed calculations with measurements and other numerical values. Images in a wide variety of formats can be imported and exported from the program. Finally, there is the ability to make ``recordings'' of sequences of steps (macros) that can then be used in other constructions.