Quantum Computation

Instructor: T. Howell, Fall 2013

CS 185C Section 2 (undergraduates)

CS 286 Section 1 (graduate students)

Ø Can objects really be in many states at once?

Ø What does it mean for a state to be “entangled”?

Ø Can measurements at one location instantly affect measurements at far distant locations (“spooky action at a distance”)?

Ø Would you like to understand more about this “quantum weirdness”?

Ø Can quantum mechanics enable computers to do exponentially many operations in parallel?

Ø Will all previous algorithms become obsolete?

Ø Why are start-ups, big companies, and governments investing in quantum computation?

In CS 185C / 286 we will explore these questions and more. Sign up and learn skills that will set you apart from other CS/Physics/Math students.

Prerequisites

· The course is designed to be as self-contained as possible

· No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics is assumed

· Students should be comfortable with linear algebra (Ma 129A): complex numbers, vectors, matrices, inner products, eigenvalues, and eigenvectors.

· Students should know some basic computer science: algorithms, running time analysis, big O notation.