Dancing with Qubits: From qubits to algorithms, embark on the quantum computing journey shaping our future

The only drawback here is that there are just too many typos in the math section. The author and editor should be a bit red faced. Put it this way: you cannot rely completely on the math equations presented to you but you should have seen them before so you will not be taken in by the persistent boo boos. It’s a bit surprising that a big publisher such as Packt would let so many errors through….HoweverHoweverHoweverIn spite of all that this book is still incredibly good and it keeps its five stars for sure. After examining so many book on Q computers I’ve finally found one that truly makes a sincere effort at explaining in detail. Forget books calling themselves “q c for beginners” or “q c for dummies” those books will lead you in circles and get you nowhere.Read this one and you need not waste time with other books. This author is careful and patient and he walks you through from the ground up.Your search is over :)

Robert Sutor’s book “Dancing with Qubits” is critical for anyone wanting to learn about quantum computing with a solid mathematical understanding. Therefore, whether you are in high school, in a non-STEM field, or like me, who had not dealt with any complex math for 20 years, this book was critical to familiarizing myself on the key mathematical concepts and which I later also used when I wrote my own book on quantum computing.“Dancing with Qubits” Second Edition is divided into three sections.Section IThis section covers the basic math that someone should have gone through in college (even high school) that supports the key concepts needed for quantum computing. This includes numbers, circles, dimensions, and probability. Probably a good refresher for many of us in business and jumping into quantum computing for different reasons.Section IIThis section starts with qubits and digs deeper into Dirac notation, the Bloch sphere, matrices, tensor products, quantum gates and then into algorithms. The chapters include detailed explanations, visualizations, and mathematical representation of the frequently used quantum gates. It includes step by step derivation of the math for various popular quantum algorithms. By the time you reach Shor's algorithm and modular exponentiation you would have fully explored qubit states through Quantum Fourier Transform (QFT), phase estimation and order finding.One chapter that I did not fully get into during my first reading of the book is Chapter 11. Getting Physical. It includes some important concepts for error correction, Shor code, benchmarking, and simulations. It also gets into some physical implementation of qubits such as photonics.Section IIIThe last section, which is new to this second edition, covers variational algorithms that make up the foundation for solving optimization and machine learning problems on quantum computers. For those who already have the first edition, this would be the motivation for ordering an additional copy, apart from other minor edits throughout the previous sections.Bob starts the discussion by reminding the user of single and multiple variable functions along with classical method for optimization to find their minimum and maximum. The book goes over Max-Cut which is frequently used in quantum computing as a baseline problem, and discusses Hermitian matrices, the variational principle, parameterized circuits, time evolution and the Hamiltonian. This then leads to an explanation of the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) and the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE). As I have tried to teach my students, understanding QAOA is a great place to start before getting into Quantum Machine Learning (QML). Bob does the same.The book then proceeds to the topic of QML. Bob spends some time explaining how to encode real world data into amplitudes or angles, before touching upon quantum neural network circuits and how their parameters might be optimized. Bob discusses support vector machines and quantum kernels as a use case for this area which is being heavily researched. Keep in mind that section III is more of an introduction to this vast topic of QML rather than a full treatment.SummaryOverall, the book does a superb job of simplifying complex topics by taking the reader through bite sized steps to allow understanding and familiarity with how quantum computing and algorithms really work. The strength of the book is to ensure you have the best mathematical foundation as you progress on your quantum journey. There are some connections to material covered in Bob's other book "Dancing with Python". I would highly recommend the book to anyone getting into quantum computing with the desire to understand how it works mathematically. The cover is in color, but the inside the figures are all b/w.

The book starts with the basics and builds up to the state of the art. It’s a great overview of the subject. By necessity it is mathematical but it tries to lay out the mathematics needed and contains detailed derivations of the important results.If you are interested in learning about quantum computing, it is an excellent place to start. Coupled with some supplementary material, it is an excellent textbook as well.

Great book on the subject. This is not a light treatment for management. Be prepared for a lot of foundational math before getting to qubits. The information is solid, but I noticed a number of typographical errors in the text (e.g. basic vs. basis) and in some of the math formulae (e.g. misplaced parentheses). They were obvious enough to not be misleading.I was disappointed that the answers to the exercises were not included. It would have been very valuable to be able to check my answers against a key.

This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in quantum computing. It provides a good balance of mathematical rigor and clear explanations, making it suitable for beginners and experienced learners.The in-depth coverage of the essential mathematical concepts of quantum computing sets this book apart. The author breaks down complex concepts in an accessible way without sacrificing depth, and each chapter builds on the previous one for a thorough understanding. The book does an amazing work at explaining the basics of quantum computing from a mathematical perspective, offering detailed explanations that make even the most challenging concepts easier to understand.One of the book's highlights is its focus on essential quantum algorithms. The comprehensive and insightful coverage of basic quantum algorithms provides readers with practical knowledge crucial for progressing in the field. The step-by-step approach enhances understanding and equips readers with the skills needed to implement these algorithms.In summary, this book is an essential resource for anyone looking to invest in their educational journey in the quantum domain!