The amazing world of quantum computing (Q2307052)

Quantum computing appeared as some essential application of quantum mechanics to computing sciences. Quantum computing started by adding to the classical ordinary computing source some extra unbelievable gates like \(\sqrt{\mathrm{NOT}}\), the square-root of NOT, that is impossible in the Turing machines. With the outperformed abilities from quantum mechanics, the quantum computing becomes a powerful tool of computing by solving some exponential time problems in polynomial time. The Grover's search on unordered data reduces the computing to the square-root time, the quantum cryptography provides some absolute security for communication, the P. Shor's prime factoring algorithm solved the prime factoring problem in polynomial time. Quantum computing can provides the so called entanglement that contradict the locality principle and teleport that actually is possible only in some legend fantasy. The author intends to explain all these to students at undergraduate level, in a language acceptable for students. The textbook is interesting and understandable. The author started a discussion of the ideas of M. Planck for light quantification, M. Faraday for electromagnetic forces, J. C. Maxwell for the rigourous model of electromagnentism, A. Einstein for a possible spooky action in quantum mechanics and hidden variables. From that he quickly introduced the readers to the problem of cryptography and teleportation (Chapter 1). The world is described in two layers: the fields satisfying linear equations and the quantities those can be measured directly, like stresses, energy, forces, positon, velocity operators. The author started at the begining by introducing the system of axioms and postulates of quantum mechanics (Chapter 2): 1. Quantum system's state space is a Hilbert space, 2. A Quantum system evolves via unitary transformations, 3. A quantum system collapses when measured, 4. Hilbert space grows rapidly with the size of a quantum system, 5. Born's probabilistic interpretation, 6. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, 7. Observables are operators, etc,\dots Next, in Chapter 3 the author described the serious mathematical background for the quantum system theory starting from propositional logic, predicate logic, linear algebra, Pauli matrices, etc\dots and then deduced some corollaries from the postulates (Chapter 4), namely no-cloning theorem, no-deleting theorem, no-hidding theorem, Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen EPR paradox, hidden variable and Bell inequalities. Another mathematical background is introduced in Chapter 5 of waves and Fourier analysis. Measurements are introduced in Chapter 6 in form of projection, measurement basis and positive operator-valued measure (POVM) measurement. The qubits and qubit gates are introduced in Chapter 7, namely Pauli gates, CNOT gates, entangled Bell states, Bit copying, Toffoli gate, 2-bit Fredkin gates and general controlled unitary gates Ctl-U, the universal set of quantum gates. In chapter 8 the author discussed the problem of Mach-Zehnder interferometer and some simple quantum algorithms like computing \(x^y\), \(x+y\), Deutsch algorithm, Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm, parallel computing, Hardy's reprieve, Elitzur-Vaidman bomb, securing banknotes. In Chapter 9 the author explained the fundamental limits of computing, including the Hilbert's second problem, Hilbert's tenth problem, Turing halting problem, Church-Turing thesis, entropy, Benett's solution for junk bits, computational complexity (classifincation, NP-complete problems), the Crown Jewels of quantum algorithms, P. Shor's algorithm implementation, complexity of Grover's search algorithm, dense coding and teleportation. In Chapter 11 the author explained the quantum error-correcting code QECC and finally in Chapter 12 the book is finishing with the theme of time-multiplexed interpretation of measurement, in particular it was discussed the problems of measurement of 2-particle entangled systems,and teleortation of a qubit of an unkown state. The textbook is easy to read and it is comprehensive, concerning almost all problems of quantum computing and it is favorite to the university level.