G53NSC and G54NSC - Non-Standard Computation

This is the webpage for the courses G53NSC and G54NSC, "Non-Standard Computation", for Semester 2 of the Academic year 2009/2010.

Course Information

• Lecturer: Dr. Alexander S. Green ()
• Module Convener: Dr. Thorsten Altenkirch
• Lectures: Tuesdays 11:00 to 13:00 (Business School South A24)
• Labs: Thursdays 15:00 to 17:00 (Computer Science A32)

• 50% Portfolio Project - in the form of weekly lab reports
• 50% Research Report and Presentation - see lecture 1 for more informtation
• Some students (randomly selected) will be asked to attend a viva in addition to the above.

Lecture Notes

1. Introduction (Overview and History of Quantum Computation)
2. Reversible Computation
3. Quantum Computation (An Introduction to Qubits)
4. Quantum Computation (Entanglement and Measurement)
5. Introduction to Quantum Algorithms
6. Grover's Algorithm
7. Introduction to Shor's Algorithm
8. Shor's Algorithm continued...
9. Project Presentations!
10. Project Presentations!

Related Links

• G53NSC/G54NSC online forum
• The Quantum IO Monad:
  1. Download QIO from Hackage. (just use "cabal install QIO")
  2. or browse the latest source code online.
  3. Download a chapter from "Semantic Techniques in Quantum Computation" about the Quantum IO Monad
• "Quantum networks for elementary arithmetic operations" - A paper on reversible circuits for arithmetic functions useful in quantum algorithms such as Shor's algorithm

Portfolio Exercises

The Portfolio will consist of lab reports for the weekly lab exercises that are set. It is advised that students submit each set of exercises as and when it is completed (E.g. on a weekly basis) so that feedback may be given before the end of the semester. Weekly submission should be via email or handed to me in the lab sessions. The final deadline for submission of your portfolio to the school office is 12:00 (midday), Thursday the 1st of April 2010.

1. Exercise Sheet 1 - 28/01/2010
2. Exercise Sheet 2 - 04/02/2010
3. Exercise Sheet 3 - 11/02/2010
4. Exercise Sheet 4 - 18/02/2010
5. Exercise Sheet 5 - 25/02/2010
6. Exercise Sheet 6 - 11/03/2010

Project Presentations

Each group (or individual) will be expected to give a 20 minute presentation on their research paper (with 10 minutes for questions). Update: Topics and pairings are now finalised, and the schedule is given below.

G54NSC

• Quantum error correction - James Barratt (jxb19m)

G53NSC

• Quantum cryptography - Daniel Nicholas Kiss (dnk07u)
• Entropy and Information - Andrew Paul Sharkey (aps07u) and Richard Stokes (rxs27u)
• Quantum cellular automaton - Jiri Kremser (jxk19u) and Ondrej Bozek (oxb09u)
• Physical realisations of quantum computers - Jack Ewing (jxe07u) and Dean Bowler (dxb07u)
• One-Way quantum computation and the Measurement calculus - Adam Christopher Dunkley (acd07u) and Domanic Nathan Curtis Smith-Jones (dns07u)

Presentations will take place in the last two lecture slots of the Spring term (Tuseday the 23rd and Tuesday the 30th of March 2010). There will be credit given for people asking relevant questions at the end of each presentation.

There are two deadlines for the research paper:

1. Each individual must submit an initial copy of their paper to the school office before 12:00 (midday), Friday the 19th of March 2010
2. Each individual must submit a final copy of their paper to the school office before 12:00 (midday), Tuesday the 11th of May 2010

Presentation Schedule

The following presentation schedule was chosen randomly using QIO

Tuesday the 23rd of March

1. 11:00 - Quantum Error Correction - jxb19m
2. 11:30 - One-Way Quantum Computation and the measurement calculus - acd07u and dns07u
3. 12:00 - Physical Realisations of Quantum Computers - jxe07u and dxb07u

Tuesday the 30th of March

1. 11:00 - Quantum Cellular Automaton - jxk19u and oxb09u
2. 11:30 - Entropy and Information - aps07u and rxs27u
3. 12:00 - Quantum Cryptography - dnk07u

A preliminary proceedings is now available

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Alexander S. Green -