The companion code for the Lectures on Symmetry Optics course is available to download for free at Github.  To run the code, you will need an installation of Matlab.  To set the Matlab search path correctly, you may need to run the program addMatlabSearchPaths.m which is included in the companion code.

Using the code not only makes calculations convenient, but it also creates many diagrams and plots which help make the subject more intuitive.  Additionally, the code embodies all of the calculations taught in the lectures; so, it may help to clarify any confusion or ambiguity in the lectures.

If you’re not familiar with Matlab, or if you don’t want to purchase a Matlab license, it is possible to do symmetry optics entirely by hand, with no assistance from software.  You’ll simply have to do more work.  In fact, it may even assist the learning process to work many tedious examples by hand.