Book Image

Dancing with Qubits

By : Robert S. Sutor
5 (1)
Book Image

Dancing with Qubits

5 (1)
By: Robert S. Sutor

Overview of this book

Quantum computing is making us change the way we think about computers. Quantum bits, a.k.a. qubits, can make it possible to solve problems that would otherwise be intractable with current computing technology. Dancing with Qubits is a quantum computing textbook that starts with an overview of why quantum computing is so different from classical computing and describes several industry use cases where it can have a major impact. From there it moves on to a fuller description of classical computing and the mathematical underpinnings necessary to understand such concepts as superposition, entanglement, and interference. Next up is circuits and algorithms, both basic and more sophisticated. It then nicely moves on to provide a survey of the physics and engineering ideas behind how quantum computing hardware is built. Finally, the book looks to the future and gives you guidance on understanding how further developments will affect you. Really understanding quantum computing requires a lot of math, and this book doesn't shy away from the necessary math concepts you'll need. Each topic is introduced and explained thoroughly, in clear English with helpful examples.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
Preface
13
Afterword

11.8 Simulation

Is it possible to simulate a quantum computer on a classical computer? If we could do it, ‘‘quantum computing’’ would be only another technique for coding software on our current machines.

In this section we look at what you have to take into account if you want to write a simulator for manipulating logical qubits.

If you have a simulator handy, such as one that is provided by Qiskit or the IBM Q Experience, you can use it for small problems. Here we look at how you might build a simulator, in general terms. I offer no complete code in any particular programming language but more of a list of what you need to take into account. You can skip this section if you are not interested in such concerns.

11.8.1 Qubits

Your first decision when thinking about building a quantum computing simulator is how you represent qubits. With this and your other choices, you can build a general model or you can specialize it. We’re...