
As an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner, Menrva Books earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more
The Discovery Of Physical Systems That Exhibit What We Now Call Quantum Mechanical Behaviour Was Unquestionably One Of The Most Astonishing Events Of Modern Physics. No Less Remarkable Was The Realisation That Quantum Mechanics Presents A Much More Powerful Paradigm For Computation And Information Processing Than Its Classical Counterpart. Indeed, Until That Point The Theory Of Computation Was Largely Treated As An Abstract Mathematical Topic, With Little Consideration Given To How The Mathematical Objects Being Studied Would Obtain Physical Reality. This Disposition Is Largely Appropriate When Said Mathematical Objects Are (classical) Bits And The Operations Thereupon, But Is Definitely Not Satisfactory When Considering The Computational Properties Of Quantum Systems. As One Of The Founding Fathers Of Quantum Computation, David Deutsch, Wrote The Theory Of Computation Has Traditionally Been Studied Almost Entirely In The Abstract, As A Topic In Pure Mathematics. This Is To Miss The Point Of It. Computers Are Physical Objects, And Computations Are Physical Processes. What Computers Can Or Cannot Compute Is Determined By The Laws Of Physics Alone, And Not By Pure Mathematics, The Essence Of Which Rolf Landauer, Distilled Into The Pithier Information Is Physical-- Provided By Publisher.
This text investigates the fundamental shift in computational theory necessitated by the transition from classical physics to quantum mechanical systems. Steven Herbert examines the historical and physical evolution of computation, arguing that information processing is not merely an abstract mathematical construct but a physical process governed by the laws of nature. By synthesizing the insights of pioneers like David Deutsch and Rolf Landauer, the author establishes a framework for understanding how quantum systems redefine the limits of what is computable.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts recognize this work as a concise introduction to the physical philosophy underpinning quantum computation. Readers frequently note the accessible yet rigorous approach the author takes when bridging the gap between pure mathematics and physical reality.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2025-01-01
Publisher:
New York : Oxford University Press,
ISBN-10:
0192868446
ISBN-13:
9780192868442
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!