ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with a few simple formulae which are needed throughout the book in the setting up of microcomputer programs and in the analysis of the output of the programs. To state the case briefly: a computer does things with numbers, but we want to get it to handle problems concerning differentiation and integration, about which it 'knows' nothing. Finite-difference methods represent one way to translate problems of the calculus into discrete numerical problems which the computer can handle. Finite-difference methods are often used on computers to convert problems involving differential equations into problems involving recurrence relations or matrix calculations. Microcomputer Quantum Mechanics combines the teaching of computing skills with depth of mathematical understanding. This practical text demonstrates how computation can be integrated with theoretical analysis as part of unified attack on problems in one of the most interesting areas of modern physics.
