Reviews of

Quantum Computing for Computer Scientists

by

Noson S. Yanofsky and Mirco A. Mannucci

 

“This is an exceptionally well written and accessible textbook on quantum computing.  While there are a few outstanding graduate textbooks on the topic, this one has the unique feature of being accessible to typical CS undergraduates.  Indeed, I would guess that a bright and motivated high-school student would go far with this book.  It starts with the complex numbers and equips the reader with a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics formulated on finite dimensional vector spaces: just what the reader needs to get to quantum computation and quantum information theory.  Armed with this the reader is led on a tour of diverse topics. The standard fare of quantum algorithms is present but there are also chapters on programming languages, cryptography and information theory. The authors have written this with great pedagogical skill. Readers will feel that they are having a conversation with the authors which makes it a great book for self-study.”

Prakash Panangaden, Professor,

School of Computer Science,

McGill University

 

 

 

“The usual computer science curriculum leaves students ill prepared for the strange looking-glass world of quantum information theory.  This book gently eases computer scientists into the hybrid framework of continuous qubits and discrete measurements from the ground up, covering all the essential mathematical prerequisites before diving into everything quantum: from algorithms and programming languages to protocols and hardware.”

Vaughan Pratt, Professor,

Department of Computer Science,

Stanford University

 

 

 

“There are now a fairly large number of texts on quantum computing.  But this one differs from all those I have seen in that it is explicitly written for undergraduates with a very limited knowledge of physics or math, but some minimal training in classical computing.  As such the book is extremely user friendly, and has many exercises to explain the material, some in the form of programs the student can write to explore many sides of a given problem, almost like playing computer games. More complicated topics are illustrated by examples, rather than complicated formal proofs. There is a good list of references for further reading on individual topics, and suggested topics for projects.  The book is clearly geared to the student of limited background who wants to learn about quantum computing without waiting to become an expert in classical computing.  For this audience the book has no peers and is highly recommended."

                                                Daniel Greenberger, Professor

Department of Physics,

                                                City College of New York, CUNY.

                                                Managing Editor, International Journal of Quantum Information

 

 

 

“The book has the potential to fill a void that needs to be filled: to bring the excitement of quantum computing to undergraduate computing majors, especially those with modest math backgrounds.”

Stephen Fenner, Associate Professor,

Department of Computer Science and Engineering,

The University of South Carolina