RLaB does linear algebra well. Since quantum mechanics can be expressed most naturally in terms of linear algebra, the match between RLaB and quantum mechanics is excellent. I picked RLaB over its free and commercial competitors (Matlab, Octave, Scilab) for this course for several reasons. First, it is free, so you can easily put it on your own PC if it is running Linux. Second, it has probably the most simple and elegant structure of the lot, and is therefore very easy to use and program. Third, an excellent tutorial is available for it, as is a usable graphics package. You will be expected to use one of the linear algebra tools in doing your homework -- I really don't care which; if you already know Matlab and wish to continue using it, that is fine. In-class work will be done using RLaB.
The grading for this course will be done as follows:
Notice that grading is distributed across a number of activities. You can't simply show up for the tests in this course, disappear otherwise, and expect to pass. This is intentional --- the computational aspect of this course is essential, and this requires a great deal of in-class participation.
As noted, the use of computers in this course is experimental. I solicit feedback at any time as to how it is working and how things can be improved. My office is Workman 214A, my telephone extension is 5610, and my e-mail address (probably your best bet for rapid communication) is raymond@kestrel.nmt.edu.