PH 534: Quantum Information and Computing
Prof. Himadri Dhar
Prerequisite
Knowing QM1 either formally or informally beforehand is useful (mainly Dirac bra-ket notation) but not a strict prerequisite. But, about 50% of the people who took the course did not already know this, so don't worry about it too much, the prof teaches it in the first few lectures.
Course Content
Basic postulates of quantum mechanics, density matrix formalism, measures of quantum and classical information, holevo bound, measures of entanglement, Quantum algorithms, quantum teleportation and communication, quantum cryptography
Books
Nielsen and Chuang
Lectures
Some lectures were online and some later lectures were live. Live lectures were certainly more engaging. The prof made an effort to teach in a way so that there was something for everyone from complete noobs to people well versed in the subject
Assignments, Exams and Grading
There were 2 quizzes, a midsem, an endsem and an assignment. Quizzes and midsem were relatively very easy and a large fraction of the class got full marks (but note that grading was relative!) The assignment had a long deadline, and had very tough problems (including a few that needed help from software for matrix eigenvalues and plotting etc). The endsem was also challenging but doable (and did not require/allow software).
Tips
Don't shy away from this course just because you know nothing about QC beforehand, it is (and is meant to be) an introductory course!
Review by Gurupoorna
Taken by Prof. Sai Vinjanampathy, Prof. Himadri Shekhar Dhar (2023-24 Spring)
Prerequisite
Soft prereq : Quantum Mechanics I
Feedback on Lecture
If you are interested in mathematics of quantum information, reversible computing, quantum cryptography protocols, you will enjoy this course. If you are expecting to learn the physical implementation of q-circuits or the QC libraries, then you might be disappointed.
I picked this course because,
1) I always wanted to know what this QIC is,
2) I had to fill my dept. elective requirement.
There were two instructors for the course: Prof. Sai Vinjanampathy - first half, Prof. Himadri Shekhar Dhar - second half.
- First half : Mostly Q-information theory (basically a super-dose of abstract linear algebra). The professor picks up very fast on the subject. You will have to do a lot of self-reading to catch up to what he is saying. The syllabus is very huge and broad, so there could be a rush at the end before mid-sems to cover the portions.
- Second half : Talked about quantum gates and circuits, algorithms, communication protocols and slightly about cryptography. The professor grazes through the topics but it remains to you to read and learn about it thoroughly.
This course has very broad course content and moderately difficult to assimilate everything. It gives a good exposure and introduction to almost every facet in QIC. The course follows a very unconventional chronology of topics, making it uneasy to follow. It is highly advised to keep reading the reference book, solve the assignments and make good notes (although professor's notes were provided post lectures). All in all, it was an interesting and demanding course.
Resources : Primarily "Quantum Computation and Quantum Information" by Michael Nielsen and Isaac Chuang. The book may use different terminology and names than what is found in standard literature, but it addresses the same concepts; just that the topics are scattered in the book compared to the course progress.
Feedback on Evaluation
2 Quizzes (2 x 10%) + Mid-sem (30%) + End-sem (50%).
No weightage for assignments but were very crucial in dealing with exams, a must do before exams.No attendance criteria. No notes or sheets allowed for exams.
Follow-up courses
There is advanced course after this course but runs in the same semester, "PH-601 Advanced Quantum Information and Computation" by the same instructors.