The course I’m teaching next term:<\/p>\n
\nCSE 599 (Special Topics in Computer Science)
\nQuantum Computing
\n—————————
\nInstructor: Dave Bacon
\nTime: Monday and Friday, 1:30-2:50, Wednesday 1:00-2:20
\nLocation: CSE 503
\nWhat are the ultimate limits to the information processing power of computing machines? Since computers are physical devices, it makes sense to look for the answer to this question through the lens of our theories of physics. Astoundingly it was discovered over a decade ago that there exists a completely different kind of a computer than today’s modern computer. This new type of computer has the peculiar feature that it processes information according to the laws of quantum physics. Remarkably, such quantum computers have been shown to possess superior computing power over today’s classical computers. For example, in 1994 Peter Shor showed that a quantum computer could efficiently factor whole numbers (a task for which there is no known efficient classical algorithm.) This discovery is especially important since it tells us that if we build a large scale quantum computer, the most widely used public key cryptosystems will no longer be secure.
\nThis course will serve as an introduction to the theory of quantum information science. Today this field is too large to cover in one course, but we will cover two of the most exciting fields in quantum computing: quantum algorithms and quantum error correction. No prior knowledge of quantum theory is necessary for this course, but prior exposure to linear algebra will be assumed.
\nThe course will run three days a week from Wednesday January 4, to Friday February 17. Questions about the course can be directed to Dave Bacon at dabacon[aaattt]cs.washington.edu .\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe course has a number which makes it sound like it is for sale, 599.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The course I’m teaching next term: CSE 599 (Special Topics in Computer Science) Quantum Computing ————————— Instructor: Dave Bacon Time: Monday and Friday, 1:30-2:50, Wednesday 1:00-2:20 Location: CSE 503 What are the ultimate limits to the information processing power of computing machines? Since computers are physical devices, it makes sense to look for the answer … <\/p>\n