Principles of Quantum Computation and Information : A Comprehensive Textbook

Quantum computation and information is a rapidly developing interdisciplinary field. It is not easy to understand its fundamental concepts and central results without facing numerous technical details. This book provides the reader with a useful guide. In particular, the initial chapters offer a simple and self-contained introduction; no previous knowledge of quantum mechanics or classical computation is required.

Various important aspects of quantum computation and information are covered in depth, starting from the foundations (the basic concepts of computational complexity, energy, entropy, and information, quantum superposition and entanglement, elementary quantum gates, the main quantum algorithms, quantum teleportation, and quantum cryptography) up to advanced topics (like entanglement measures, quantum discord, quantum noise, quantum channels, quantum error correction, quantum simulators and tensor networks).

It can be used as a broad range textbook for a course in quantum information and computation, both for upper-level undergraduate students and for graduate students. It contains a large number of solved exercises, which are an essential complement to the text, as they will help the student to become familiar with the subject. The book may also be useful as general education for readers who want to know the fundamental principles of quantum information and computation and who have the basic background acquired from their undergraduate course in physics, mathematics, or computer science, as well as for researchers interested in some of the latest spin-off of the field, including the use of quantum information in the theories of many-body systems.

Readership: Upper-level undergraduates and graduate students in physics, mathematics and computer science.

"Thorough introductions to classical computation and irreversibility, and a primer of quantum theory, lead into the heart of this impressive and substantial book. All the topics — quantum algorithms, quantum error correction, adiabatic quantum computing and decoherence are just a few — are explained carefully and in detail. Particularly attractive are the connections between the conceptual structures and mathematical formalisms, and the different experimental protocols for bringing them to practice. A more wide-ranging, comprehensive, and definite text is hard to imagine." -- Michael Berry, University of Bristol, UK

"This second edition of the textbook is a timely and very comprehensive update in a rapidly developing field, both in theory as well as in the experimental implementation of quantum information processing. The book provides a solid introduction into the field, a deeper insight in the formal description of quantum information as well as a well laid-out overview on several platforms for quantum simulation and quantum computation. All in all, a well-written and commendable textbook, which will prove very valuable both for the novices and the scholars in the fields of quantum computation and information." -- Rainer Blatt, Universität Innsbruck and IQOQI,Innsbruck, Austria

"The book by Benenti, Casati, Rossini and Strini is an excellent introduction to the fascinating field of quantum information, of great benefit for scientists entering the field and a very useful reference for people already working in it. The second edition of the book is considerably extended with new chapters, as the one on many-body systems, and necessary updates, most notably on the physical implementations." -- Rosario Fazio, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy

"The book contains many (solved) exercises, useful for students and more advanced readers. Many calculations are done explicitly, and that s definitely a plus. The choice of the subjects is careful and appropriate: the balance between what a good author wants to say and the fact that a book should be easy to carry around is perfect." -- Saverio Pascazio, University of Bari Aldo Moro

"The first volume of the two-volume edition is an introduction to the main concepts of quantum computation and information. The book offers a simple, clear and systematic treatment of qubits, quantum gates, various quantum algorithms and quantum communication. The chapters on classical information theory and quantum mechanics make the book easy to read. The book is recommended to undergraduate as well as graduate students in physics, mathematics and computer science. The large number of exercises is supplemented by solutions. The reader is encouraged for active work." -- Professor Ioannis Antoniou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

"Besides giving an excellent introduction to the field it provides a unique perspective on the blending and cross-fertilization between the methods of quantum information and quantum chaos, both areas in which the authors are leading experts." -- Marcos Saraceno Comision Nac. de Energia Atomica, Argentina

"The authors have done a very good job, succeeding to present the main topics of this domain with remarkable concision and clarity." -- Bertrand Georgeot, CNRS/Universite Paul Sabatier, France

"This book is, on the whole, well-written and readable. The material is presented concisely, and illustrated with simple examples and exercises ... the material in the current book is much more compact and easily learned than the phonebook-sized compendium of Nielsen and Chuang. It could serve well as the text for an introductory course ... It also contains numerous exercises, which mostly seem well thought out and appropriate to the material presented." -- Mathematical Reviews

"Reading this book one remarks from the very beginning that it is outstanding and well formulated with both mathematical and verbal respects ... This book is didactically well organized and written in a clear language. It can be best recommended to people to whom it is addressed by the authors." -- Zentralblatt MATH

Reviews of the First Edition, Volume II: Basic Tools and Special Topics:

"Like the first one this second volume is written in an outstanding clear and instructive manner and covers the main fields of quantum information processing ... this excellent textbook guides the reader on a straight way to understand and work on quantum computing and information. It can be best recommended to students as well as to lecturers." -- Zentralblatt MATH

"The presentation is lucid and well-planned. The detailed explanations of classical concepts such as data compression and encoding help put the quantum analogues in context. There are copious worked examples, and all exercises have full solutions given at the rear of the book ... their treatment of more mainstream parts of quantum information is clear, concise and comprehensive. This book deserves a home on many a bookshelf." -- Australian Physics

"The second volume provides a great deal more depth on subjects vital to understanding quantum computers as a possible technology, as well as covering some side topics that are not so directly relevant, but that may be interesting for a sophisticated reader. This new volume also updates and greatly expands the discussion of current experimental techniques ... the two volumes of this text are also worthy entries, and could serve admirably in a graduate-level introductory course — particularly one with a significant experimental component, or one that also touches on quantum chaos. For professionals in quantum mechanics from certain backgrounds, this book may also work as an introduction to quantum computing. Certainly the authors are to be commended for producing such a well-written and accessible textbook." -- Mathematical Reviews

"The authors have not only considered the students and young researchers in their field, but, without explicitly saying so and with great tact, they have also thought of professors in other fields, who desperately try to keep up-to-date and to understand the formidably concise and technical articles which appear in Physical Review Letters, Nature and Science ... These two volumes, which I recommend to all colleagues in the aforementioned situation, take us back to the solid ground of sound quantum mechanics." -- II Nuovo Saggiatore