Introduction to Quantum Information Processing
CS 667, C&O 681, PHYS 767, AM 871
Fall 2009 (http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cleve/courses/F09CS667/index.html)

Instructor
Richard Cleve (cleve@cs.uwaterloo.ca)
Office hours: after class or by appointment

Objectives
Quantum Information Processing (also known as "quantum computing") seeks to harness the strange power of quantum mechanics to provide a qualitatively different and more powerful way of processing information than "classical" physics seems to allow. The objective of this course is to introduce this multidisciplinary subject at the graduate level.

Topics to be covered
● Detailed syllabus: [PDF]
● Overview (timing information is approximate):
    ○ Introduction to the quantum information framework (3 lectures).
    ○ Quantum algorithms and complexity theory (8 lectures).
    ○ Density matrices and quantum operations on them (3 lectures).
    ○ Distance measures between quantum states (1 lecture).
    ○ Entropy and noiseless coding (1 lecture).
    ○ Error-correcting codes and fault-tolerance (3 lectures).
    ○ Nonlocality (2 lectures).
    ○ Cryptography (3 lectures).

Intended audience
This course is mainly intended for graduate students in CS, C&O or Physics. Other students may take this course with the permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites are MATH 235 or equivalent (e.g. PHYS 364 & 365); STAT 230 or equivalent. Note: this course cannot be taken for credit by students who have taken CO 481 / CS 467 / PHYS 467.

Evaluation
5 assignments 12% each
1 project 40%

Assignments (worth 60% of the final grade)
Assignment 1 (due September 29)
Assignment 2 (due October 13)
Assignment 3 (due October 27)
Assignment 4 (due November 12)
Assignment 5 (due December 3)

Lecture notes from Fall 2008
Lectures 1-3        [PPT, PDF]
Lectures 4-6        [PPT, PDF]
Lectures 7-9        [PPT, PDF]
Lectures 10-14    [PPT, PDF]
Lectures 15-20    [PPT, PDF]