dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaFrom Cbits to Qbits: Teaching computer scientists quantum mechanics
| Authors | N. David Mermin |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0207118 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0207118 |
| DOI | 10.1119/1.1522741 |
| Journal | American Journal of Physics Vol. 71, 23-30 (2003) |
Abstract
A strategy is suggested for teaching mathematically literate students, with no background in physics, just enough quantum mechanics for them to understand and develop algorithms in quantum computation and quantum information theory. Although the article as a whole addresses teachers of physics, well versed in quantum mechanics, the central pedagogical development is addressed directly to computer scientists and mathematicians, with only occasional asides to their teacher. Physicists uninterested in quantum pedagogy may be amused (or irritated) by some of the views of standard quantum mechanics that arise naturally from this unorthodox perspective.
{
"annotation_id": "83a0667e-9ab0-426b-a32c-3c63e620504f",
"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:52.551000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:01:52.551000Z",
"file_hash": "1915d807cf8f5155dd343b2035792d7786759e372c33480273a5c467324be44d",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "A strategy is suggested for teaching mathematically literate students, with\nno background in physics, just enough quantum mechanics for them to understand\nand develop algorithms in quantum computation and quantum information theory.\nAlthough the article as a whole addresses teachers of physics, well versed in\nquantum mechanics, the central pedagogical development is addressed directly to\ncomputer scientists and mathematicians, with only occasional asides to their\nteacher. Physicists uninterested in quantum pedagogy may be amused (or\nirritated) by some of the views of standard quantum mechanics that arise\nnaturally from this unorthodox perspective.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0207118",
"authors": [
"N. David Mermin"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1119/1.1522741",
"journal_ref": "American Journal of Physics Vol. 71, 23-30 (2003)",
"title": "From Cbits to Qbits: Teaching computer scientists quantum mechanics",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0207118"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "a18313eb-def7-42c8-b489-55e42e32a1d9",
"id": "arXiv Dataset IDs",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-03-01",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}