Discover Beginner-Friendly Books on Quantum Information and Computation | Q&A

[Llukis]

TL;DR Summary

Question about quantum gates and references in quantum computation.

Hello to everyone,
I would like to ask you to brief questions.
The first one is whether you could recommend any pedagogical books on Quantum Information and Computation. I tried Nielsen and Chuang but I found it too dense for a beginner in the field.
The second question is the following: to perform any computation on $N$ input qubits, is it enough to use single and two qubit gates? I mean, there is no need of a quantum gate with more than 2 inputs of qubits.
Thank you so much for your help

 

[gentzen]

The first one is whether you could recommend any pedagogical books on Quantum Information and Computation.

I guess book recommendation questions are better asked in the Science and Math Textbooks forum. There are already a couple of question similar to yours, like for example:

What is a good book to learn Quantum Computing?

I've being looking for the most common ones and reading some reviews at Amazon, and created this list:

• A Short Introduction to Quantum Information and Quantum Computation, Le Bellac, 2006
• An Introduction to Quantum Computing Algorithms, Pittenger, 2001
• An introduction to quantum computing, Kaye, Laflamme,Mosca, 2007
• Classical and Quantum Computation, Kitaev, 2002
• Elements of quantum computation and Quantum Communication, Anirban, 2013.
• Entanglement, quantum phase transitions and quantum algorithms, Lacort,

• Experimental Aspects of Quantum Computing, Everitt, 2005
• Explorations in Quantum Computing, Williams, 2010
• Introduction to Quantum Information Processing, Lucke.
• Introduction to Information Retrieval and Quantum Mechanics, Melucci, 2015
• Introduction to Quantum Computing, Wartrous Notes, 2006
• Logic and Algebraic Structures in Quantum Computing, Chubb, 2010

• Nano, Quantum And Molecular Computing, Shukla, Bahar, 2004
• Quantum Algorithms Via Linear Algebra, Lipton, 2014
• Quantum Computation and Quantum Communication, Theory and Experiments, Pavicic, 2006
• Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, Nielsen, Chuang, 2011
• Quantum Computer Science An Introduction, Mermin, 2007
• Quantum Computer Science, Lanzagorta, Uhlmann, 2008

• Quantum Computer. How It Works Issue 95, 2017
• Quantum Computing, A Gentle Introduction, Rieffel, Polak, 2014
• Quantum Computing Explained, McMahon, 2007
• Quantum Computing for Computer Architects, Metodi, 2011
• Quantum Computing for computer scientists, Yanofsky y Manucci, 2008
• Quantum Computing since Democritus, Aaronson, 2013

• Quantum Engineering, Zagonskin, 2011
• Quantum Information Computation and Communication, Jones, 2010
• Quantum Quenching, Annealing and Computation, Somma, 2010
• Quantum Walks and Search Algorithms, Portugal, 2013
• Quantum computation, Aharanov,
• Quantum Walks for Computer Scientists, Venegas, 2008

• Reversible Computing Fundamentals, Quantum Computing, and Applications, De Vos, 2010
• The Temple of Quantum Computing, Perry, 2004.
• The Limits of Quantum Computers, Aaronson
• What Quantum Computing Means to Data Mining, Wittek, 2014

Have you read any of them?. Would you include something else (not only plain quantum physics)?. Maybe Quantum Information?
Could you rank them or at least say which one is not worth reading it or it's a good one? You can make categories.

Some people chooses Laflamme, Rieffel or Yanofsky as introductor books. But maybe nowadays there exist newer ones better than the oldies.
And they choose Nielsen as the advanced one.
It's difficult to find comparisons.

I have read

• Quantum Computer Science An Introduction, Mermin, 2007

and liked it.

The second question is the following: to perform any computation on $N$ input qubits, is it enough to use single and two qubit gates? I mean, there is no need of a quantum gate with more than 2 inputs of qubits.

Yes, this is enough.

 

[Llukis]

Thank you so much for your answer!

 

[DrClaude]

I suggest Stenholm & Suominen Quantum Approach to Informatics.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Here is a recently published book on quantum computing: https://global.oup.com/academic/pro...rom-alice-to-bob-9780192857989?cc=nz&lang=en&

 

[Demystifier]

I tried Nielsen and Chuang but I found it too dense for a beginner in the field.

For a beginner I recommend McMahon, Quantum Computing Explained. As others books by McMahon (most of which are in the "demystified" series), it is written in a very pedestrian step-by-step form.

 

[Llukis]

Yes, I had a look to this book, but it is completely full of typographical error in the formulas. Do you know of any corrected edition or errata document? Thank you for posting this book!

 

[Demystifier]

Do you know of any corrected edition or errata document?

Unfortunately, no.

 

[Demystifier]

Yes, I had a look to this book, but it is completely full of typographical error in the formulas.

So this book explains you step-by-step how to find the result, but doesn't tell you what the correct result is. In other books it's the exact opposite.