The 2019 National Academies report, Quantum Computing: Progress and Prospects, states that quantum computing has the potential to "transcend current computational boundaries" and "transform our understanding of the universe." Public and private investments in quantum information science are increasing dramatically, driving rapid progress on the hardware and software needed for this emerging technology.
A qubit (quantum bit) |y>. Image from Wikipedia.
Professor Jack Lutz will teach a special topics course on Quantum Information and Computation during the spring, 2021, semester. This will be an introduction to quantum information and computation from a theoretical computer science perspective. The prerequisites are Com S 331 or equivalent (can be concurrent) and Math 207 or equivalent, or permission of the instructor. No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics or information theory will be assumed. Interest in proving theorems about models of computation will be more useful than specific coursework.
This course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. It is formally numbered as Com S 590, but undergraduates will be allowed to use it as one of the 400-level courses required for the B.S. in Computer Science.
Specific course topics will include Dirac notation, axioms of quantum mechanics, elements of computational complexity, quantum circuits, quantum supremacy, quantum entropy, quantum information theory, and the computational power of quantum entanglement.
The course will be online, 9:55-10:45 MWF. There will be no text or required programming. Grades will be based on homework and a research or expository project.