Confusions about some symbols in QC

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the interpretation of symbols and diagrams in Nielsen's book on quantum computing, particularly focusing on the representation of quantum gates and their connections. Participants express confusion regarding specific graphical elements and their meanings within the context of quantum logic.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the meaning of a line half-crossing the X-box and the connection to the function ##f \left ( x \right )## in the diagrams.
  • The same participant notes the presence of two H gates between states ##\left | \psi _0 \right >## and ##\left | \psi _1 \right >##, asking why one has a line crossing it while the other does not.
  • Concerns are raised about the absence of crossing lines on H gates in one diagram compared to another, leading to speculation about potential errors in the book.
  • Another participant suggests that the inconsistencies may be due to typographical errors related to the LaTeX rendering of the figures.
  • One participant seeks clarification on whether lines should cross the squares, while another asserts that they should not, referencing correct examples from Wikipedia.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the interpretation of the diagrams. Some participants believe the issues are typographical errors, while others express confusion and seek clarification on the graphical representations.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights potential limitations in the clarity of the diagrams presented in the book, with participants noting that the rendering may affect the interpretation of the symbols.

Haorong Wu
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TL;DR
Confusions about some symbols in QC
There are some pictures in Nielsen's book that I find confusing:

微信图片_20190523080457.jpg
Why there is a line half-crossing the X-box?

微信图片_20190523080451.jpg
Similarly, why there is a line connecting to ##f \left ( x \right )##?

微信图片_20190523080448.jpg
There are two H gates between ##\left | \psi _0 \right >## and ##\left | \psi _1 \right >##. Why one of them has a line crossing it, while the other one only has a line half-crossing it?

微信图片_20190523080443.jpg
Similarly, why the H gates have no lines crossing them in this picture? In the "Nomenclature and notation" section, the quantum gates are all crossed by lines. What's the differences between them?

Well, if there are just several inconsistent pictures, I would say the book has some errors. But I find there are pretty much strange appearances. Maybe I overlook some important part about those lines?
 
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These are just "typographical" error. The figures appear to have been done in LaTeX, so it may just be a problem of how they were rendered for the book.
 
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DrClaude said:
These are just "typographical" error. The figures appear to have been done in LaTeX, so it may just be a problem of how they were rendered for the book.

(@.@)...Ah..All right. So, should there be lines crossing those squares?
 

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