Quantum Computing: An Applied Approach

I feel like a lot of the 5 star reviews are paid. This is a heavily sponsored/advertised book. 45 reviews and counting after only being out for a short timeWhile it is a nice up to date survey of modern quantum computing it is entirely too short to provide much depth.Much of the second part of the book is brief sections without any meat.The coding examples are nice but really, and sadly, Nielsen Chuang is still the gold standard. The description lead me to believe this might be an up to date versionNope

Reading ‘Quantum Computing – An Applied Approach’ was time and money well spent since it’s actually three books in one. As such, it is neatly organized in three major sections - (1) Foundations (2) Hardware and Applications (3) Toolkit, broadly reflecting the three disciplines intersecting to construct quantum computing (QC) – physics, computer science and math.Because of that triplet packaging the book accommodates a wide band of readers. The highly useful Navigating chapter lists five classes - University Instructors, Physicists, Software Programmers, Business Leaders, Independent Study – and recommends for each of those categories the optimal learning path across the extensive content.So you may not want to read the book in the specific order it’s printed, and instead make your own way through content depending on your specific interests and background. However, everyone should read the first two chapters which nicely summarize the history of quantum computing, along with describing a device with the astonishing properties which are not possible in a classical machine. After that, it’s design your journey or simply follow the books order.For example, I’m in the independent Study group, so found starting with the math the best move. Since QC is spoken in Linear Algebra, not understanding its basic principles means QC will soon become incomprehensible. Fortunately, Linear Algebra is relatively the easiest math to learn (compared to Analysis/Calculus) and the book does excellent job of aggregating the essentials you’ll need to know to become conversant in QC. The math section covers all the machinery needed to fluently participate in quantum computing and is both rigorous and readable.At any rate, there’s a five minute self-test at beginning of the math section which will help you in deciding how much attention to spend in that section. If you’re in the Business Leader category, then you’ll want to begin here.True to its name, the book’s focus is distinctly on applications. This is where it surpasses the many other books on QC because it has distinct advantage of being up to date, all the more useful in a dynamic field like QC.Many books on QC were written prior to significant advances in the last three years, with several promising results in applying QC in commercial sectors from finance to pharmaceuticals. Indeed, it is precisely such progress which makes it possible to write a solid book with ‘applied’ in its title. And to maintain its freshness factor there’s a GitHub site populated with learning resources and technical updates.Having the latest info is vital in a dynamic area like QC. With improvements occurring regularly.. there’s an advantage of a timely publication. For example, in October 2019 Google claimed its quantum computer demonstrated quantum supremacy, a long sought goal in the industry. Since the author works at Alphabet X, it’s not surprising there’s a chapter devoted to quantum supremacy, explaining what it takes to prove such a claim as opposed to merely asserting ‘quantum advantage’. Also described are several application areas where there’s active research in such programs.AUDIENCEOutside its obvious usefulness in a classroom, there are three discernable groups of readers who’d find this book worthwhile. First and foremost those with coding experience looking to become involved with QC. Next are those with a STEM background. Third, readers (like me) without STEM degrees, but with an understanding of modern science.For sure, if you’re in the latter group, then this neatly organized book will bring you up to speed on this steadily emerging technology. Even if you don’t fully absorb the more technical sections, there’s plenty of clear material to make you both conversant in the subject and able to assess opportunities as the sector starts to enter the commercial mainstream.STEM readers familiar with the physics and math parts, will still benefit from the extensive coverage applications receive, and certainly more current than earlier books.The book is especially worthwhile for those with some technical exposure to this area (like programmers – as there’s plenty of places to dive into code and interact on GitHub. It would also be a useful first book for those with some STEM training who’re looking to come up to speed on quantum computing.SUMMARYIf you’re motivated to learn then ‘Quantum Computing – An Applied Approach’ deserves your consideration. Especially if you have a STEM degree or even if you enjoy learning fascinating math/physics.For the serious reader, the book would well serve as your first on QC. In addition, it also makes a decent handbook. As you learn more QC and become more adapt, it’s a good book to return to, serving as an all around handy reference, and refresher for core material.Overall, the book does an excellent job of fully covering a challenging subject in a digestible way while maintaining the reader’s appetite. Depending on your STEM credentials, there may be some challenging topics, but in fairness, that is not unexpected for taking on such a difficult and demanding subject.There’s sufficient material so no matter what the reader’s level, it will elevate your quantum computing knowledge. Enjoy the journey.

As reviewer(s) before me already noted, most of the reviews of this book must be fake. I purchased the Kindle edition and it is totally useless: - There is no table of contents, no page numbers and even no chapters! So it is impossible to browse the book or jump to any section / chapter. - The book formatting is broken, there are headers / footers in the middle of the page - Most importantly, all the FORMULAS ARE NON-READABLE. In a book on quantum computing (!!!).Where there should be a formula in a text, there's only some garbage text/symbols and this is the case both on Kindle and on the Amazon Cloud reader. You can see it also if you click on the "Look inside" preview of the Kindle edition. These are just the issues I found in the first 3 minutes of reading. It's like someone copy-pasted the book into MS Notebook, and printed it to PDF.So it's totally incomprehensible to me how someone (Springer ??) can publish and sell a "book" like this. Don't waste your time and / or your money (yes, even $10).

Besides writing my own book on quantum computing, I've read at least two dozen others, including 18 since writing my own book. I feel like I understand quantum mechanics and quantum computing, really well, except for some of the more complicated linear algebra. Hidary's book is awesome on many levels, including being one of the best blendings of quantum mechanics, quantum computing, and quantum programming out there. I learned a ton of new things right from the beginning, such as qudits and qutrits (3-state "qubits"). Every chapter was full of things I did not know. Why is no one else talking about this?? My only word of caution is that this book is not for newbies to quantum mechanics. Hidary covers topics, such as entanglement, very, very quickly...in a few sentences or paragraphs. He does cover it well enough for the topics in the book, and well enough for anyone looking to compute and program entanglement...but for a through understanding of pure quantum theory, you may need a previous primer. I love Jack's book...his understanding and language around it is so good that I can't believe he isn't a quantum physicists by training (although I know one of his editors, Dr. Stefan Leichenauer is...so he obviously had a good check on his writing of the complex topics and math if he needed it).

Book explains Good about maths but it skims a lot in the important topics and doesn’t provide Enough explanations. It’s upto reader to go and search online for accurate understanding.It might have been helpful to add a quantum mechanics fundamentals as a section to skim through topics like entanglement, superposition etc.Similarly quantum algorithms could be explained better.Content on libraries to simulate a quantum computer is pretty good.

Mathematical notations are not properly displayed for Kindle. I gave this book a poor rating not because of the contents of this book which I didn't get the chance to read. They shouldn't offer a Kindle version if they can't properly display mathematical notations.

The book is well written, however, it is notibly suited towards individuals with a maths/physics background.Pure computer scientists will likely struggle with the maths involved without prior exposure to linear algebra, essential to quantum computing. The book itself cannot be relied upon to teach this as it has minimal linear algebra practice questions in chapter 11, and currently no answers for these present in the official GitHub page.

Found incredibly interesting and useful

Bought for my husband who really enjoyed it

Die Entwicklung und Anwendung von Quanten-Computern ist seit einiger Zeit und wird sehr wahrscheinlich auch zumindest in naher Zukunft eines der am meisten diskutierten Technologiethemen sein. Somit trifft dieses Fachbuch sicher auf seine Leserschaft. Der Autor hat sich mit den Aktivitäten von Google auf diesem Gebiet auch einen Namen gemacht und war mit seinem Vortrag „Your Quantum Future“ einer der prominenten Sprecher auf der Digital-Life-Design Konferenz im Januar 2020 in München.Quantum Computing ist bzgl. der Grundlagen sicher schwieriger zu vermitteln als das arithmetische Rechnen mit Boolscher Algebra, also den Dualzahlen 0 und 1 der klassischen Computer. Diese „klassischen“ Bits werden beim Quantum Computing durch sog. Qubits ersetzt, die Zustandsvektoren quantenphysikalischer Systeme entsprechen. Um dieses Konzept halbwegs verständlich zu machen, müsste man zumindest die Grundlagen der Quantenphysik erläutern, was in einem Buch wie diesem kaum möglich erscheint. Der Autor versucht, ganz in der Tradition US-amerikanischem Pragmatismus, das Konzept des Quantum Computing in aller Kürze fast kochrezept-artig darzustellen, was zumindest teilweise scheitern muss.Der Schwerpunkt des Werks liegt auf der Anwendung von Quantum Computing, d.h. sein Hauptteil behandelt - nach meinem Dafürhalten zu kurz - verschiedene, denkbare Realisierungen von Quanten-Computer Hardware, und etwas ausführlicher konkrete algorithmischen Anwendungen. Eine Darstellung der mit der jeweiligen, prototypischen Hardware-Realisierung verbundenen physikalisch bedingten Schwierigkeiten fehlt leider überwiegend. Ich würde mir hier aber eine ausführlichere Darstellung der physikalischen Hintergründe wünschen. Auch das Thema „Quantum Error Correction“, unabdingbar für einen funktionsfähigen Quanten Computer, kommt viel zu kurz. Dieses wird, wie viele andere wichtige Aspekte auch, kurz angesprochen und der Leser dann per Literaturzitat auf entsprechende Veröffentlichungen verwiesen.Eine zwar kurze, aber den Kern herausarbeitende Darstellung vieler Aspekte der Hard- und Software-Technologie würde die Probleme bei der Entwicklung eines Quanten-Computers verständlicher erscheinen lassen und den derzeitigen, eher noch embryonal zu nennenden Technologiestand sicherlich etwas transparenter machen.Mein Eindruck ist, dass z. B. das inzwischen etwas ältere Werk „Quantum Computation and Quantum Information: 10th Anniversary Edition“ zum Einlesen in die Thematik etwas geeigneter ist.Der Autor gibt nach dem Vorwort auch sinnvolle Hinweise zur Benutzung des Buches. Der Leser sollte aber nach meinem Dafürhalten zum Verständnis fundierte Grundlagen der Quantenphysik und Linearen Algebra einschließlich der Mathematik der Hilbert-Räume mitbringen, um das Buch in allen seinen Facetten gewinnbringend nutzen zu können, auch wenn im 3. Teil des Buches unter dem Titel „Toolkit“ die mathematischen Grundlagen nochmal knapp dargelegt werden.

During this time I decide to move out of my comfy zone and start rediscovering #quantumcomputing something I met first time ten years ago. After reviewing the basics idea of #quantumphysics (not really my domain) moved in the more comfy area of #algorithm #complexity, and #matrix #algebra and started to understand the coding basics of #gates, #momentum, #circuits, and #simulators with #google #cirq. Then I found out the #entangling book "Quantum computing an applied approach" by Jack Hidary and my understanding is now becoming deeper. Particularly appreciated the part discussing all the #quantum #algorithms. Definitely recommend this book.