Category: Quantum

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Quantized Poker?

I like poker and I like quantum computing and lo and behold here is a paper with both:

arXiv: 0902.2196
Title: Quantized Poker
Authors: Steven A. Bleiler
Poker has become a popular pastime all over the world. At any given moment one can find tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of players playing poker via their computers on the major on-line gaming sites. Indeed, according to the Vancouver, B.C. based pokerpulse.com estimates, more than 190 million US dollars daily is bet in on-line poker rooms. But communication and computation are changing as the relentless application of Moore’s Law brings computation and information into the quantum realm. The quantum theory of games concerns the behavior of classical games when played in the coming quantum computing environment or when played with quantum information. In almost all cases, the “quantized” versions of these games afford many new strategic options to the players. The study of so-called quantum games is quite new, arising from a seminal paper of D. Meyer cite{Meyer} published in Physics Review Letters in 1999. The ensuing near decade has seen an explosion of contributions and controversy over what exactly a quantized game really is and if there is indeed anything new for game theory. With the settling of some of these controversies cite{Bleiler}, it is now possible to fully analyze some of the basic endgame models from the game theory of Poker and predict with confidence just how the optimal play of Poker will change when played in the coming quantum computation environment. The analysis here shows that for certain players, “entangled” poker will allow results that outperform those available to players “in real life”.

Steven?

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More on Fixed Points

In a prior post I asked about the how the structure of fixed points of stochastic maps changes under composition of such maps. Robin provided an interesting comment about the setup, linking this question at least partially with zero error codes:

R has at least one fixed point. If it’s unique, there need be no relationship between fixed points of P and R. (Q can project to a single vector, which becomes the unique fixed point of R.) If R has N > 1 fixed points, then things get more interesting. The fixed points are closed under linear combination, so they’re a subspace (I’m actually assuming N is the dimension of the subspace). An N-dimensional fixed subspace gives an N-symbol noiseless code for N (not necessarily obvious, but see arxiv/0705.4282), and therefore an N-symbol correctable code for P. Q is the recovery map. So, the dimensionality of R‘s fixed-point space (N) is tightly bounded by the size of P‘s largest zero-error code, and the fixed-point set itself has to be a subspace of one of those codes. You can also transpose R and get an identical bound in terms of QT‘s zero-error codes. (Yes, I know QT isn’t necessarily stochastic, but it works anyway). The zero-error codes are independent sets of P‘s adjacency graph, so (a) there can be quite a few of them, and (b) finding the bound on N is isomorphic to Maximum Clique.

Robin scores double bonus old school points for linking to a paper by Shannon. Okay, so given that the general case seems hard (and my question was vague), maybe it’s better to work with a simpler concrete example of what I’m thinking.

Continue reading “More on Fixed Points”

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Benasque 2009

I’ve never made it to Benasque, and am always profoundly jealous of those who have gone:

Dear Colleague,
We are pleased to inform you that following a very successful editions of Benasque 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2007, we are organizing another workshop of the similar type in June 2009. This is to invite you to apply using the electronic form that you can find on the website specified below. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible and not later than the end of March 2009. The number of participants at the Benasque Centre at any given time is limited to about 50. We will do our best to accommodate most of the applicants,however, in some cases we may be unable to find suitable time slots for all of them, i.e. we cannot guarantee acceptance.
Budget permitting, we expect to offer a modest allowance to some participants. Preference will be given to those staying for the whole duration of the workshop.
We do hope to see you in Benasque!
Ignacio Cirac and Artur Ekert
_________________________________________________________
BENASQUE 2009
Title: Quantum Information
Venue: Benasque in the Spanish Pyrenees.
Date: The 3 week period 7– 27 June 2009.
Website: http://sophia.ecm.ub.es/2009qi/
Registers at: http://sophia.ecm.ub.es/2009qi/cgi-bin/appl.pl

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Mortgage Backed Quantum Computers

From the annals of strangely mixed news stories. Canada: $25 billion government bailout and….$50 million for the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing:

BRANTFORD, Ont. — The $25-billion government deal to buy mortgages from Canada’s banks isn’t a lifeline for lenders stuck with bum loans, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday…
He said the government will likely make money on the deal, because its borrowing costs are lower than those available to banks.
Harper also produced an election goodie, promising a $50-million grant to a high-tech research lab at the University of Waterloo.
The money goes to the university’s Institute of [sic] Quantum Computing.
The prime minister says it’s in line with the government’s efforts to spur research and development.

A new way to get out of the financial crisis: invest in the quantum computing! (joke about a superposition of rich and poor deleted for sanity’s sake.)

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Quantum Postdocs

Two quantum postdoc advertisements crossed my desk this week, from two fine institutions. Good postdocs if you can land one! The first advertisement is a double wammy from Caltech

CENTER FOR THE PHYSICS OF INFORMATION
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Postdoctoral Research Positions
The Center for the Physics of Information at the California Institute of
Technology will have postdoctoral scholar positions available beginning
in September 2009. Researchers interested in all aspects of the
interface between information science and physical science are invited
to apply. The appointment is contingent upon completion of a Ph.D.
Please apply on-line at
http://www.ist.caltech.edu/joinus/positions.html#postdoc.
Electronic copies of your curriculum vitae, publication list, statement
of research interests, and three letters of recommendation are required.
The deadline for receipt of all application materials is December 15,
2008.
INSTITUTE FOR QUANTUM INFORMATION
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Postdoctoral Research Positions
The Institute for Quantum Information at the California Institute of
Technology will have postdoctoral scholar positions available beginning
in September 2009. Researchers interested in all aspects of quantum
information science are invited to apply. The appointment is contingent
upon completion of a Ph.D. Please apply on-line at
http://www.iqi.caltech.edu/postdoc_opening.html. Electronic copies of
your curriculum vitae, publication list, statement of research
interests, and three letters of recommendation are required. The
deadline for receipt of all application materials is December 15, 2008.

and the second is from the Perimeter Institute (application here)

Postdoctoral Researcher
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics invites applications for postdoctoral positions in the areas of quantum gravity, string theory, quantum information, cosmology, quantum foundations and particle physics. We will consider applications in all of these areas. Exceptional applicants in related areas, such as condensed matter physics, are encouraged to apply. The postdoctoral positions are normally for a period of three years. Outstanding candidates may also be considered for a senior postdoctoral position with a five-year term.
The deadline for applications is November 15, 2008. Qualified applicants will be invited to Perimeter Institute to attend the Young Researchers Conference, December 8 – 12, 2008.
Please email pdfrecruitment [at] perimeterinstitute.ca with any questions or concerns.
Perimeter Institute is located west of Toronto, in Waterloo, Canada and opened in September 2001 as an independent institute supporting research in foundational areas of theoretical physics. The Institute offers an exceptional research environment and is currently staffed with 20 full-time and part-time faculty members, 45 Postdoctoral Researchers, and 17 Graduate Students, and hosts hundreds of visitors and conference participants throughout the academic year.
Perimeter Institute is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents will be given priority.

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Will the Real Reason For Quantum Theory Please Stand Up?

Michael Nielsen has a nice essay up explaining Why the world needs quantum mechanics:

Conventional wisdom holds that quantum mechanics is hard to learn. This is more or less correct, although often overstated. However, the necessity of abandoning conventional ways of thinking about the world, and finding a radically new way – quantum mechanics – can be understood by any intelligent person willing to spend some time concentrating hard. Conveying that understanding is the purpose of this essay.

For a good explanation of Bell inequalities, jump to Michael’s essay.
Continue reading “Will the Real Reason For Quantum Theory Please Stand Up?”