Abstract

Braid theory is a very active research field. Braids can be studied from variuos points of view and have applications in different fields, e.g. in mathematical physics and in biology. In this thesis we provide a formal introduction to some topics in the mathematical theory of braids and two possible approaches to this field at a popular level: a movie and a workshop. The scientific movie addressed to a non-specialist audience has been realized using the free ray-tracer POV-Ray. It is divided into four parts, each of which has a length of about 15 minutes. The content ranges from the introduction of basic concepts to deep results. The workshop activity is based on the action of braids on loops and aims to invite and lead the audience to a mathematical formalization of the principal concepts involved: braids, curves and group actions.