"Explorations in Quantum Computing" is published by TELOS, The Electronic

Library of Science, a Springer Verlag imprint located in Santa Clara, CA. For

information contact TELOS via the Internet at info@telospub.com.



If you have any problems with the CD-ROM software, or if you want to give us

feedback,  please contact Colin Williams at:



colin@solstice.jpl.nasa.gov

tel: (818) 306 6512



cpw@cs.stanford.edu

tel: (415) 728 2118



===================================================

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE MATHEMATICA NOTEBOOKS

===================================================



This CD-ROM includes Mathematica Version 2.2 and Mathematica Version 3.0

Notebooks to accompany the book, "Explorations in Quantum Computing" by Colin

P. Williams and Scott H. Clearwater.



Mathematica is a software system that allows you to perform mathematics on a

computer. The latest version of the software (Version 3.0) was released in

1997. The Mathematica system allows you to mix together numerical, symbolic

and graphical computations within a single programming environment.



Mathematica Notebooks are specially formatted files that contain text,

graphics, animations, and executable Mathematica code. You can use the

MathReader program on the CD-ROM to view the Mathematica Notebooks on your

computer, even if you are not able to run the Mathematica system itself.

However, to get the most out of the CD-ROM files, we recommend that you open

the Notebooks from within the full Mathematica software system. This is

available on most college campuses. Alternatively, a personal copy of

Mathematica can be purchased from Wolfram Research Inc.

(http://www.wolfram.com).  A student version  is available at a discount

price and can often be purchased through college campus bookstores/computer

stores. With the full Mathematica system you will be able to both read the

Notebooks and execute the commands contained in them, yourself. This is very

helpful for developing a feel for the ideas behind quantum computing.



MathReader, a program made available for free by Wolfram Research, Inc.,

allows you to read the Notebooks, and to print them, but not to execute any

of the commands. Six different versions of MathReader are contained on this

CD-ROM in order to allow you to read the Notebooks even if you do not have

access to the Mathematica system itself.



Notebooks created under Mathematica v2.2 have the filename extension *.ma.

Those created under v3.0 have the extension *.nb. MathReader version 3 can

view both *.ma and *.nb notebooks but, MathReader version 2 can view only the

*.ma notebooks.  We included both versions because not everyone has migrated

to using Mathematica v3.0 yet (although they should - it's great!). Moreover,

at the time of pressing the CD-ROM there was still no v3.0 MathReader for

UNIX. If you are completely new to Mathematica we recommend using MathReader

version 3 and the *.nb Notebooks only. The on-line help systems and

installers for v3 MathReaders are far better than their v2 counterparts.



If you are already a Mathematica user, but you haven't switched to

Mathematica v3.0 yet, you are at no disadvantage as the *.ma and *.nb

Notebooks  on the CD-ROM contain the same content even though they look

different stylistically.



To open a Notebook, install either the appropriate version of MathReader or

Mathematica for your computer platform and then double-click on the

Notebook's icon. Alternatively, if you already have access to Mathematica,

start Mathematica as usual, then go to the File menu and select Open. Next,

locate the Notebook file within your personal directory structure and select

it.



Once you have opened a Notebook, you will be able to scroll through it using

a slider on the right hand edge of the page. Each Notebook contains a

mini-tutorial on a specific topic related to quantum computing. You may

follow through the tutorial, executing commands as you go, and then try some

variations on your own.



To execute a command in a Notebook, position the cursor over the command,

click the mouse button, and then hit the SHIFT key and the RETURN key

simultaneously. A single RETURN alone will not work (this was reserved to

allow users to type inputs that spill over several lines). 



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Note that the first time you attempt to evaluate a particular Mathematica

command you may be asked whether you want to "evaluate initialization

cells"?. If confronted with such a question, always hit the "yes" button in

the dialog box that will appear.  By choosing "yes" you are instructing

Mathematica to load in all the definitions for the functions defined in that

Notebook. This is crucial in order to get the software to run.  If you ever

find that you cannot get the software to run the most likely problem is that

you have not initialized the Notebook. In version 3.0 you can force

initialization by going to the Kernel/Evaluation/Evaluate Initialization

menu. In v2.2 you can force initialization by going to the Action/Evaluate

Initialization menu.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<



If you want to try out a lot of new commands, we recommend that you open a

new Notebook (File menu select "New"). Commands are shared between Notebooks.

So your "New" (empty) Notebook will be able to run all of the commands that

appear in any other Notebook that is open at the same time. You can also save

each Notebook as a Package if you want to use the commands within it,

repeatedly, for new experiments of your own. To do this under Mathematica

v3.0 use the File/Save As Special.../Package Format menu option.



If you are new to Mathematica, we recommend that you read the

introductory-to-intermediate level text "Mathematica: A Practical Approach

(Second Edition) by Nancy Blachman & Colin P. Williams, Prentice-Hall (1997).

This book is based on the introductory Mathematica course taught at Stanford

University.   It will teach you everything you need to know to understand the

code in the quantum computing Notebooks.



================

Version 2.2 notes: 

================

The 2.2 Notebooks (*.ma) work without any modification in version 2.2. 



To view the animations in Anims2/Schroed2D.ma 

1. Move that Notebook to your hard drive first. 



2. Open the file.



3. Double click on the cell bracket of the cell that contains the animation

you want to see e.g. "Experiment 2: Double Slit".



4. Double click on the cell bracket of the cell called "Animation" (which

reveals one frame of the animation)



5. Double click on the cell bracket immediately below this graphic (which

reveals all the frames in the animation)



6. Double click on any of these frames then runs the animation.



================

Version 3.0 notes: 

================

The 3.0 Notebooks (*.nb) work without any modification in v3.0.  



To view the animations in Anims3/Schroed2D.ma ...

1. Move that Notebook to your hard drive first. 



2. Attempt to open the (v2.2) file in Mathematica v3.0. When you attempt to

open the file you will be asked if you want to convert it to a v3.0 Notebook

before viewing it. Select "Convert" with the default setting for all other

options. When asked, save the file as Schroed2D.nb on your hard drive. Then

open Schroed2D.nb.



3. Double click on the cell bracket of the cell that contains the animation

you want to see e.g. "Experiment 2: Double Slit".



4. Double click on the cell bracket of the cell called "Animation" (which

reveals one frame of the animation)



5. Double click on the cell bracket immediately below this graphic (which

reveals all the frames in the animation)



6. Double click on any of these frames then runs the animation.



