A Quantum Computing Pamphlet

A well-kept secret of quantum computing: it's not hard to understand! The only prerequisite is an understanding of algebra and a few quiet hours.

This is not a textbook. It is brief; it has no frills; only the essentials of quantum computing are covered. You won't learn about its history, unexpected applications, proofs of peripheral results, philosophical implications, computer architecture, or much else besides quantum computing. It won't take you a semester to complete. My only intention is to provide a quick, clear, and rigorous description of the fundamentals of quantum computing.

Why this format? Textbooks are excellent but, for most readers, inefficient. Popular books and articles lack detail and rigor. Online resources are sparse and scattered. This pamphlet takes the pros of these mediums and avoids their cons. After studying it, you'll have the foundation to dive directly into more advanced texts and research papers. Alternatively, if you only want to better understand the news and hype around developments in quantum computing, this pamphlet is the only resource you need.

The first half introduces linear algebra, the language of quantum mechanics; then there's a brief introduction to quantum computing, which is easy to understand given the mathematical background built in the previous sections; and the remainder is a detailed look at Grover's algorithm, one of the most famous applications of quantum computing.

Happy studying!

Note: there's a complementary YouTube series available at http://youtube.com/c/daytonellwanger.