Easier than carrying around a copy of Gradshteyn and Ryzhik and more reliable than Wikipedia!

See:

http://dlmf.nist.gov/

Cirac, Wineland, and Zoller have been awarded the 2010 Franklin Medal in physics:

For their theoretical proposal and experimental realization of the first device that performs elementary computer-logic operations using the quantum properties of individual atoms.

See:

http://www.fi.edu/franklinawards/10/bf_physics.html

 

 

Thanks to Charles Clark for posting this info on Facebook.

For those interested in cellular complexes--and if you care about quantum computing, topological phases, or quantum gravity, this means you---there is an exhibition of wire sculptures not to be missed at the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art this month.  The creator, Neil Taylor, is a sculptor based in Melbourne.  When finished with the cold hard scientific motifs there is plenty good warm and fuzzy art to see as well.

 If you are in qscitech and have an answer I will buy you a beer or beverage of your choice).   If not in qscitech---I promise to buy one next time I see you.

 Is there an efficient classical algorithm to estimate probability amplitudes 

 (y,Ux)=<y_1|<y_2|...<y_n| U |x_1>|x_2>...|x_n>

 

where y=(y_1...y_n) and x=(x_1,...,x_n) are n-bit strings and U=\prod u_j is a unitary built from a polynomial number p(n)of Clifford gates u_j?

I know there is an polynomial time classical algorithm to estimate the probabilities (via Gottesman-Knill thm, see e.g. the Aaronson and Gottesman paper) but can we also get the phase information?

 A naive approach would be to try to classically simulate an interferometer type circuit with one ancilla qubit prepared in (|0>+|1>)_a, the register qubits prepared in |x>,  and applying p(n) controlled unitaries targeted on the register,  

|0>_a<0|\otimes 1+|1>_a<1|\otimes u_j

 

followed a linear number of controlled unitaries corresponding to controlled bit flips that would map |x>--->|y> followed by measurement of the ancilla in the x basis (and repeating the whole thing with a measurement in the y basis).  However, a generator of the Clifford group is the CNOT gate and the controlled verion is the Toffoli gate which is not in the Clifford group and cannot be efficiently simulated classically.

 As a side note a constructive "yes"  I think provides an efficient constructive algorithm to compute the arf invariant of a link corresponding to the plat closure of a braid word on 2n strands. 

 

 

 

 

 

Classical Information theory and Classical Computation:

E. T. Jaynes, Probability theory: the logic of science

available for download free here: http://omega.math.albany.edu:8008/JaynesBook.html

T.H. Cormen, C.E. Leiserson, R.L. Rivest, and C. Stein, Introduction to Algorithms

Quantum Information theory and Quantum Computation:

J. Preskill's, Notes on quantum information

available for download here: http://www.theory.caltech.edu/people/preskill/ph229/

M. Nielsen and I. Chuang, Quantum Computation and Quantum Information

Scott Aaronson's blog, Shtetl-Optimized http://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/

 Dave Bacon's blog, The Quantum Pontiff http://scienceblogs.com/pontiff/

Mathematical Physics:

J. F. Cornwell, Group Theory in Physics vols. I,II,III

J. Baez and P. Munian, Gauge Fields, Knots, and Gravity

B. Schutz, Geometrical Methods in Mathematical Physics

M. Nakahara, Geometry, Topology, and Physics

John Baez's blog, This Weeks Finds in Mathematical Physics (http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/TWF.html)

Quantum Optics, Atomic Physics, Open System Dynamics:

M.M. Puri, Mathematical Methods of Quantum Optics

M.O. Scully and M.S. Zubairy, Quantum Optics

D. F. Walls and G.J. Milburn, Quantum Optics

C.W. Gardiner and P. Zoller, Quantum Noise: A Handbook of Markovian and Non-Markovian Quantum

Stochastic Methods with Applications to Quantum Optics

Statistical Physics, Condensed Matter:

J. Cardy, Scaling and Renormalization in Statistical Physics

X.-G. Wen, Quantum Field Theory of Many-body Systems: From the Origin of Sound to an Origin of

Light and Electrons

Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory:

J.J. Sakurai, Modern Quantum Mechanics

A. Zee, Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell

Relativity Special and General:

B. Schutz, A First Course in General Relativity

R.M. Wald,  General Relativity