Earlier quoted context omitted.
My issue is, I seem to only ever be interested in learning the things I struggle with...
Why bother learning things that are easy?
Some learning is for necessity, rather than for its own enjoyment.
Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
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Re: Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
#12I have taught a course on quantum computing a few times, mostly to CS students who have no background in quantum mechanics. The way I proceed is to * First introduce classical reversible computation. I model it using linear algebra, meaning classical n-bit states are 2^n length binary vectors, and the gates are 2^n x 2^n binary matrices acting on theses states. Exponential, yes, but a faithful model. The critical fea…
On behalf of my fellow English majors, may I just say: What?? I love Hacker News because it exposes me to a great deal of things like this. I intend to do as deep a dive I can muster into the provided lecture notes. But boy howdy, are certain topics I encounter here humbling. If I were fully honest with myself I would avoid a certain subset of the content on hn. Sometimes I think it only fuels my impostor syndrome.
I am sure there are areas which you know a lot about, which I know nothing about. And conversely for every pair of people in the world.
I spend plenty of my time dealing with my own imposter syndrome, often because there are many people in my own field who know far far more about it than I do. Peter Shor, the OP, for instance. But its fine. You do what enjoy and best at, and find satisfaction in doing it. That is the way to live.
Re: Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
Don't worry, I had the same reaction. But you're not an impostor for spending your time learning whatever it is you're learning instead of this.
My issue is, I seem to only ever be interested in learning the things I struggle with...
I read your first comment and it could’ve easily been mine. Currently a software developer but I started off in journalism.
I love, love, love learning but I feel like I have some… granite wall of impenetrability when it comes to quantum computing. I simply cannot figure it out. I’m a very adept person and a quick learner, but everything about quantum theory just leaves me feeling like a complete idiot.
Re: Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
#14I have taught a course on quantum computing a few times, mostly to CS students who have no background in quantum mechanics. The way I proceed is to * First introduce classical reversible computation. I model it using linear algebra, meaning classical n-bit states are 2^n length binary vectors, and the gates are 2^n x 2^n binary matrices acting on theses states. Exponential, yes, but a faithful model. The critical fea…
Your approach sounds very interesting. Do you have any course materials to share or recommend?
Unfortunately no. I have some course notes that I was putting together during the last iteration of the course, but they are in no way ready for public release. And while many other introductions draw a connection between classical and quantum, I haven't seen any that follow the same radical development as mine.
Scott Aaronson does follow a similar line of thinking in this Quantum Computing Since Democritus lectures [1]. He talks about the p-norm aspect, but doesn't talk about the tensor product structure. And I think for good reason. The way I teach is good for learning, but it is not how you would ultimately think about the link between classical and quantum computing, once you become an expert. Then you should think in terms of complexity theory or in terms of axiomatic relations between classical and quantum theories or information theory principles etc.
There is also David Mermin's book, which has a section on a similar sort of reasoning. I don't recommend it as a self-learning book because it has no exercises.
Re: Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
My issue is, I seem to only ever be interested in learning the things I struggle with...
I read your first comment and it could’ve easily been mine. Currently a software developer but I started off in journalism. I love, love, love learning but I feel like I have some… granite wall of impenetrability when it comes to quantum computing. I simply cannot figure it out. I’m a very adept person and a quick learner, but everything about quantum theory just leaves me feeling like a complete idiot.
Heh, my degree is in journalism. It's been a weird ride, but I wouldn't trade it for the shiniest CS education.
Re: Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
My issue is, I seem to only ever be interested in learning the things I struggle with...
Why bother learning things that are easy?
When it's somewhat irrelevant to focus on the hard things, which are more appealing, I find it's frustrating not being motivated to solve the more pressing, easier issues because they're not "fun"
Re: Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
#17I have taught a course on quantum computing a few times, mostly to CS students who have no background in quantum mechanics. The way I proceed is to * First introduce classical reversible computation. I model it using linear algebra, meaning classical n-bit states are 2^n length binary vectors, and the gates are 2^n x 2^n binary matrices acting on theses states. Exponential, yes, but a faithful model. The critical fea…
Your approach sounds very interesting. Do you have any course materials to share or recommend?
Scott Aaronson, also mentioned in the sibling comment, has pretty good lecture notes that take a similar approach: https://www.scottaaronson.com/qclec.pdf
This is very much becoming the "standard" way to teach quantum information science.
Re: Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
#18I have taught a course on quantum computing a few times, mostly to CS students who have no background in quantum mechanics. The way I proceed is to * First introduce classical reversible computation. I model it using linear algebra, meaning classical n-bit states are 2^n length binary vectors, and the gates are 2^n x 2^n binary matrices acting on theses states. Exponential, yes, but a faithful model. The critical fea…
Your approach sounds very interesting. Do you have any course materials to share or recommend?
An example of a textbook which starts from the discrete, linear-algebra form of QM (using the Stern-Gerlach spin experiment) is "Quantum Mechanics: A Paradigms Approach" by David McIntyre of Oregon State University. It's not quite like what's described here, but much closer to it than the more traditional way of teaching QM (using differential equations).
Re: Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why bother learning things that are easy?
When it's somewhat irrelevant to focus on the hard things, which are more appealing, I find it's frustrating not being motivated to solve the more pressing, easier issues because they're not "fun"
True, but in some cases , it’s just a case of pedagogical mismatch . May I recommend https://www.scottaaronson.com/democritus/lec9.html
? I have cribbed from this endlessly when explaining quantum computing , and it’s certainly my goto talk for explaining quantum computing.
Re: Peter Shor's MIT Fall 2022 course lecture notes on quantum computing
#20I have taught a course on quantum computing a few times, mostly to CS students who have no background in quantum mechanics. The way I proceed is to * First introduce classical reversible computation. I model it using linear algebra, meaning classical n-bit states are 2^n length binary vectors, and the gates are 2^n x 2^n binary matrices acting on theses states. Exponential, yes, but a faithful model. The critical fea…
Do you know how qubits are physically implemented? Like, what is a qubit made of and how does it reify computation?