Read more
By the year 2020, the basic memory components of a computer will be the size of individual atoms. At such scales, the current theory of computation will become invalid. A new field called "quantum computing" is emerging that is reinventing the foundations of computer science and information theory in a way that is consistent with quantum physics - the most accurate model of reality that is currently known. Remarkably, this new theory predicts that quantum computers can perform certain tasks breathtakingly faster than classical computers, and, better yet, can accomplish mind-boggling feats such as teleporting information, breaking supposedly "unbreakable" codes, generating true random numbers, and communicating with messages that betray the presence of eavesdropping.
Explorations in Quantum Computing explains these burgeoning developments in simple terms, and describes the key technological hurdles that must be overcome in order to make quantum computers a reality. This book draws upon the very latest research and uses executable software simulations to help explain the material and allow the reader to experiment with the ideas behind quantum computers. This is the ideal text for anyone wishing to learn more about the next, perhaps "ultimate," computer revolution.
This book is accompanied by a multiplatform CD-ROM containing Mathematica Version 2.2 and 3.0 notebooks that provide simulations and tutorials on most topics covered in the book. Copies of Math Reader 2.2 and 3.0, the Wolfram Research, Inc., software program which enables users to view Mathematica notebooks even if they do not have the Mathematica program itself, are included on the disk. However, to take full advantage of interactively working with these simulations, we recommend that you obtain the Mathematica computer algebra system.
List of contents
From the contents: Includes a CD-ROM comprised of Mathematica notebooks for performing presentations in the book. Contents: 1) Computer Technology meets Quantum Reality; 2) The Capabilities of Computing Machinery; 3) The Dynamics of Quantum Computers; 4) Extracting Answers from Quantum Computers; 5) Breaking Unbreakable Codes; 6) True Randomness; 7) Quantum Cryptography; 8) Quantum Teleportation; 9) Errors in Quantum Computers; 10) Error Correction; 11) The Reality of Quantum Computers.
