Computer Science and Engineering Department Seminar

DATE: February 18th TIME: 10-12noon PLACE: JBH391

TITLE: The Quantum Mechanics of Computing and Information
PRESENTER: Dr. Yasha Karant

This will be the first of several seminars to introduce the changes in
our understanding of computing and information required by quantum
mechanics and quantum field theory.  Both the Shannon approach to information theory and the Turning
approach to computation are grounded in an underlying implementation that 
is based upon "classical" physics.  Given that most
computer scientists and engineers have little background in quantum mechanics,
I shall start with a review of the basic ideas and formalism of quantum
mechanics and quantum field theory.  Then I shall introduce both the q-bit
and q-gate, and examine at least one quantum computating algorithm.
Ultimately, in a later seminar, I shall discuss the possibility that a quantum
computer can solve problems that are intractable on a Turing machine, let alone
a realizable classical digital computer.