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Quantum Computing Since Democritus
370 pages
An informal, mind-expanding tour through the deepest philosophical and scientific questions of computation and reality.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting in on a series of brilliant, freewheeling lectures by a top theorist who is eager to share the deepest mysteries of the universe. The pace is brisk as it bounds from ancient Greek philosophy to the cutting edge of quantum cryptography and complexity theory. Despite the heavy subject matter—spanning set theory, time travel, and the anthropic principle—the mood remains inquisitive, expansive, and surprisingly accessible thanks to an informal, conversational prose style. It is an intellectually stimulating journey that asks profound questions about the nature of reality and information. This book will delight readers with a scientific background, as well as students and researchers in physics, math, and philosophy who crave rigorous but approachable explorations of mind-bending concepts.
- Mood
- intellectually stimulating
- expansive
- inquisitive
- Tone
- informal
- insightful
- argumentative
- philosophical
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the limits of computation · the nature of physical reality · philosophical implications of quantum mechanics · the intersection of math and physics
- The writing
- Informal and conversational, yet packed with dense, rigorous scientific and philosophical arguments.
- The arc
- A journey from ancient philosophical curiosity to the mind-bending frontiers of modern quantum theory.
- Who it's for
- Readers with a scientific background, as well as students and researchers in physics, computer science, or philosophy who enjoy deep, informal explorations of complex ideas.
About the book
Written by noted quantum computing theorist Scott Aaronson, this book takes readers on a tour through some of the deepest ideas of maths, computer science and physics. Full of insights, arguments and philosophical perspectives, the book covers an amazing array of topics. Beginning in antiquity with Democritus, it progresses through logic and set theory, computability and complexity theory, quantum computing, cryptography, the information content of quantum states and the interpretation of quantum mechanics. There are also extended discussions about time travel, Newcomb's Paradox, the anthropic principle and the views of Roger Penrose. Aaronson's informal style makes this fascinating book accessible to readers with scientific backgrounds, as well as students and researchers working in physics, computer science, mathematics and philosophy.
Description from Open Library.
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