Quantum Computation and Quantum Information

Reviews / Votes

'Ten years after its initial publication, 'Mike and Ike' (as it's affectionately called) remains the quantum computing textbook to which all others are compared. No other book in the field matches its scope: from experimental implementation to complexity classes, from the philosophical justifications for the Church-Turing Thesis to the nitty-gritty of bra/ket manipulation. A dog-eared copy sits on my desk; the section on trace distance and fidelity alone has been worth many times the price of the book to me.' Scott Aaronson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 'Quantum information processing has become a huge interdisciplinary field at the intersection of both, theoretical and experimental quantum physics, computer science, mathematics, quantum engineering and, more recently, even quantum metrology. The book by Michael Nielsen and Isaac Chuang was seminal in many ways: it paved the way for a broader, yet deep understanding of the underlying science, it introduced a common language now widely used by a growing community and it became the standard book in the field for a whole decade. In spite of the fast progress in the field, even after 10 years the book provides the basic introduction into the field for students and scholars alike and the 10th anniversary edition will remain a bestseller for a long time to come. The foundations of quantum computation and quantum information processing are excellently laid out in this book and it also provides an overview over some experimental techniques that have become the testing ground for quantum information processing during the last decade. In view of the rapid progress of the field the book will continue to be extremely valuable for all entering this highly interdisciplinary research area and it will always provide the reference for those who grew up with it. This is an excellent book, well written, highly commendable, and in fact imperative for everybody in the field.' Rainer Blatt, Universtitaet Innsbruck 'My well-perused copy of Nielsen and Chuang is, as always, close at hand as I write this. It appears that the material that Mike and Ike chose to cover, which was a lot, has turned out to be a large portion of what will become the eternal verities of this still-young field. When another researcher asks me to give her a clear explanation of some important point of quantum information science, I breathe a sigh of relief when I recall that it is in this book - my job is easy, I just send her there.' David DiVincenzo, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center 'If there is anything you want to know, or remind yourself, about quantum information science, then look no further than this comprehensive compendium by Ike and Mike. Whether you are an expert, a student or a casual reader, tap into this treasure chest of useful and well presented information.' Artur Ekert, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford 'Nearly every child who has read Harry Potter believes that if you just say the right thing or do the right thing, you can coerce matter to do something fantastic. But what adult would believe it? Until quantum computation and quantum information came along in the early 1990s, nearly none. The quantum computer is the Philosopher's Stone of our century, and Nielsen and Chuang is our basic book of incantations. Ten years have passed since its publication, and it is as basic to the field as it ever was. Matter will do wonderful things if asked to, but we must first understand its language. No book written since (there was none before) does the job of teaching the language of quantum theory's possibilities like Nielsen and Chuang's.' Chris Fuchs, The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 'Nielsen and Chuang is the bible of the quantum information field. It appeared 10 years ago, yet even though the field has changed enormously in these 10 years - the book still covers most of the important concepts of the field.' Lov Grover, Bell Labs 'Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, commonly referred to as 'Mike and Ike', continues to be a most valuable resource for background information on quantum information processing. As a mathematically-impaired experimentalist, I particularly appreciate the fact that armed with a modest background in quantum mechanics, it is possible to pick up at any point in the book and readily grasp the basic ideas being discussed. To me, it is still 'the' book on the subject.' David Wineland, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 'It is a classic! Must read for anyone who wants to know about quantum computing.' Abhijeet Ghoshal, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign