Concepts of Quantum Computation

Abstract

There are many ways and levels of explaining quantum computation. This chapter is intended to reflect this fact. It is composed of the three self-contained sections. The first one gives a very basic introduction to the subject stressing the fundamental issues and avoiding mathematical formalism. Many may find this level of explanation adequate for their purposes. Those who want to become familiar with details are encouraged to proceed to the second section. It takes the reader from the very first quantum algorithms, through the discussion of computational complexity, to more advanced topics, such as quantum factoring. Last but not least, the third section provides a proposal for converting esoteric theoretical ideas into working devices. Chapter 5 presents experimental achievements to date and continuing efforts to make further progress in quantum computation.