l Ever since we published our Picture Book of Quantum Mechanics we have
been asked to make available the programs we wrote to generate the
computer graphics that illustrate the book. We have called the result
INTERQUANTA (the Interactive Program of Quantum Mechanics), which we
like to abbreviate further by IQ. This book is essentially an extensive
user's guide for INTERQUANTA. The book also contains a short summary of
the different subjects of quantum mechanics treated by IQ as well as a
large number of exercises. The program can be used in two ways. By
working through (at least a part of) these exer- cises, the user of IQ
explores a computer laboratory in quantum mechanics gaining experience
in this abstract field by performing computer experiments. No knowledge
of computer programming is required. The user only has to learn how to
use some ofthe simple IQ commands and, in particular, the exten- sive
HELP facilities. A simpler way to use IQ is to study one or several of
the ready-made demonstrations. In each demonstration the user is taken
through one chapter of quantum mechanics. Short explanatory texts
displayed on the screen interchange with graphics illustrating
quantum-mechanical problems which are solved by the program.