38 Best Quantum Computing Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best quantum computing books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Elon Musk, Eric Weinstein, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, and 25 other experts.
1
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... more
Recommended by Chris Bernhardt, and 1 others.

Chris BernhardtThis is not a beginner’s quantum computing book, but if you already have some experience with some of the ideas of quantum computing then this could be the book for you. (Source)

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2
From the bestselling author of The Theoretical Minimum, a DIY introduction to the math and science of quantum mechanics.

First he taught you classical mechanics. Now, physicist Leonard Susskind has teamed up with data engineer Art Friedman to present the theory and associated mathematics of the strange world of quantum mechanics.

In this follow-up to the New York Times best-selling The Theoretical Minimum, Susskind and Friedman provide a lively introduction to this famously difficult field, which attempts to understand the behavior of sub-atomic...
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Recommended by Eric Weinstein, and 1 others.

Eric Weinstein[Eric Weinstein recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)

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3

Quantum Computation and Quantum Information

One of the most cited books in physics of all time, Quantum Computation and Quantum Information remains the best textbook in this exciting field of science. This 10th anniversary edition includes an introduction from the authors setting the work in context. This comprehensive textbook describes such remarkable effects as fast quantum algorithms, quantum teleportation, quantum cryptography and quantum error-correction. Quantum mechanics and computer science are introduced before moving on to describe what a quantum computer is, how it can be used to solve problems faster than 'classical'... more
Recommended by Chris Bernhardt, and 1 others.

Chris BernhardtAnyone who is seriously getting into quantum computation uses this book. It is the Bible and it’s an enormous book, some 700 pages long. It’s very well written, though mathematically it’s at a slightly higher level than the others I’ve recommended. This is really a book for someone who seriously wants to get into quantum computing. (Source)

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4

Quantum Computing for Computer Scientists

The multidisciplinary field of quantum computing strives to exploit some of the uncanny aspects of quantum mechanics to expand our computational horizons. Quantum Computing for Computer Scientists takes readers on a tour of this fascinating area of cutting-edge research. Written in an accessible yet rigorous fashion, this book employs ideas and techniques familiar to every student of computer science. The reader is not expected to have any advanced mathematics or physics background. After presenting the necessary prerequisites, the material is organized to look at different aspects of quantum... more
Recommended by Chris Bernhardt, and 1 others.

Chris BernhardtThis is an undergraduate textbook and anyone in a STEM field could take a course with it. Because it’s a textbook, it presents things in a very clear way. But where it’s especially strong is in the section on algorithms. (Source)

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5
In his first book since the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, Simon Singh offers the first sweeping history of encryption, tracing its evolution and revealing the dramatic effects codes have had on wars, nations, and individual lives. From Mary, Queen of Scots, trapped by her own code, to the Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allies win World War II, to the incredible (and incredibly simple) logistical breakthrough that made Internet commerce secure, The Code Book tells the story of the most powerful intellectual weapon ever known: secrecy.

Throughout the text are clear...
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Recommended by Stephen Kinsella, and 1 others.

Stephen Kinsella@gavreilly @SLSingh Love that book (Source)

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6
Gregory Zuckerman, the bestselling author of The Greatest Trade Ever and The Frackers, answers the question investors have been asking for decades: How did Jim Simons do it?

Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award


Jim Simons is the greatest money maker in modern financial history. No other investor--Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, Ray Dalio, Steve Cohen, or George Soros--can touch his record. Since 1988, Renaissance's signature Medallion fund has generated average annual returns of 66 percent. The firm...
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Abhishek Kar@Singh7575 ~The man who solved the market Nice book and interesting insights from Jim's life. Read it last month. Happy reading👍 (Source)

Andy SumI finished reading a book! Pretty interesting biography and background on some of the emotions involved in quantatative trading. Worth reading. https://t.co/doi843dcGN (Source)

Steve BurnsThe new book on Jim Simons is in my top 5 favorite trading books of all time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It is already the #19 best seller in Amazon nonfiction The Man Who Solved the Market: How Jim Simons Launched the Quant Revolution Kindle Edition by Gregory Zuckerman https://t.co/FAZFigNNXy https://t.co/Jjz38Qpdnu (Source)

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8
A mind-blowing glimpse into the near future, where quantum computing will have world-transforming effects.

The quantum computer is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Pioneering physicists are on the brink of unlocking a new quantum universe which provides a better representation of reality than our everyday experiences and common sense ever could. The birth of quantum computers - which, like Schrödinger's famous "dead and alive" cat, rely on entities like electrons, photons, or atoms existing in two states at the same time - is set to turn the computing world on its...
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Recommended by Chris Bernhardt, and 1 others.

Chris BernhardtIf you’re completely math-phobic and you want to read a quantum computing book, this is a very good one for the underlying history and an introduction to the founders of the subject. (Source)

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9

Quantum Computing

A Gentle Introduction

A thorough exposition of quantum computing and the underlying concepts of quantum physics, with explanations of the relevant mathematics and numerous examples.

The combination of two of the twentieth century's most influential and revolutionary scientific theories, information theory and quantum mechanics, gave rise to a radically new view of computing and information. Quantum information processing explores the implications of using quantum mechanics instead of classical mechanics to model information and its processing. Quantum computing is not about changing the physical...
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10

Quantum Computing

Progress and Prospects

Quantum mechanics, the subfield of physics that describes the behavior of very small (quantum) particles, provides the basis for a new paradigm of computing. First proposed in the 1980s as a way to improve computational modeling of quantum systems, the field of quantum computing has recently garnered significant attention due to progress in building small-scale devices. However, significant technical advances will be required before a large-scale, practical quantum computer can be achieved.

Quantum Computing: Progress and Prospects provides an introduction to the field,...
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11

Programming Quantum Computers

Essential Algorithms and Code Samples

Quantum computers are poised to kick-start a new computing revolution--and you can join in right away. If you're in software engineering, computer graphics, data science, or just an intrigued computerphile, this book provides a hands-on programmer's guide to understanding quantum computing. Rather than labor through math and theory, you'll work directly with examples that demonstrate this technology's unique capabilities.

Quantum computing specialists Eric Johnston, Nic Harrigan, and Mercedes Gimeno-Segovia show you how to build the skills, tools, and intuition required to write...
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12
Write algorithms and program in the new field of quantum computing. This book covers major topics such as the physical components of a quantum computer: qubits, entanglement, logic gates, circuits, and how they differ from a traditional computer. Also, Practical Quantum Computing for Developers discusses quantum computing in the cloud using IBM Q Experience including: the composer, quantum scores, experiments, circuits, simulators, real quantum devices, and more. You'll be able to run experiments in the cloud on a real quantum device.
Furthermore, this book shows you how to do...
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13
Will your organization be protected the day a quantum computer breaks encryption on the internet?

Computer encryption is vital for protecting users, data, and infrastructure in the digital age. Using traditional computing, even common desktop encryption could take decades for specialized 'crackers' to break and government and infrastructure-grade encryption would take billions of times longer. In light of these facts, it may seem that today's computer cryptography is a rock-solid way to safeguard everything from online passwords to the backbone of the entire...
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15
Is the universe actually a giant quantum computer? According to Seth Lloyd—Professor of Quantum-Mechanical Engineering at MIT and originator of the first technologically feasible design for a working quantum computer—the answer is yes. This wonderfully accessible book illuminates the professional and personal paths that led him to this remarkable conclusion.

All interactions between particles in the universe, Lloyd explains, convey not only energy but also information—in other words, particles not only collide, they compute. And what is the entire universe computing, ultimately?...
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16

Quantum Radar

This book offers a concise review of quantum radar theory. Our approach is pedagogical, making emphasis on the physics behind the operation of a hypothetical quantum radar. We concentrate our discussion on the two major models proposed to date: interferometric quantum radar and quantum illumination. In addition, this book offers some new results, including an analytical study of quantum interferometry in the X-band radar region with a variety of atmospheric conditions, a derivation of a quantum radar equation, and a discussion of quantum radar jamming. This book assumes the reader is familiar... more

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17

Quantum Computing for Everyone

An accessible introduction to an exciting new area in computation, explaining such topics as qubits, entanglement, and quantum teleportation for the general reader.

Quantum computing is a beautiful fusion of quantum physics and computer science, incorporating some of the most stunning ideas from twentieth-century physics into an entirely new way of thinking about computation. In this book, Chris Bernhardt offers an introduction to quantum computing that is accessible to anyone who is comfortable with high school mathematics. He explains qubits, entanglement, quantum...
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18

Classical and Quantum Computation

This text presents an integrated development of core material from several complex variables and complex algebraic geometry, leading to proofs of Serre's celebrated GAGA theorems relating the two subjects, and including applications to the representation theory of complex semisimple Lie groups. It includes a thorough treatment of the local theory using the tools of commutative algebra, an extensive development of sheaf theory and the theory of coherent analytic and algebraic sheaves, proofs of the main vanishing theorems for these categories of sheaves, and a complete proof of the finite... more

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19
Over 130 years ago, James Clerk Maxwell introduced his hypothetical "demon" as a challenge to the scope of the second law of thermodynamics. Fascination with the demon persisted throughout the development of statistical and quantum physics, information theory, and computer science, and links have been established between Maxwell's demon and each of these disciplines. The demon's seductive quality makes it appealing to physical scientists, engineers, computer scientists, biologists, psychologists, and historians and philosophers of science.

Since the publication of Maxwell's...
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20

An Introduction to Quantum Computing

This concise, accessible text provides a thorough introduction to quantum computing - an exciting emergent field at the interface of the computer, engineering, mathematical and physical sciences. Aimed at advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in these disciplines, the text is technically detailed and is clearly illustrated throughout with diagrams and exercises. Some prior knowledge of linear algebra is assumed, including vector spaces and inner products. However, prior familiarity with topics such as tensor products and spectral decomposition is not required, as the... more

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Don't have time to read the top Quantum Computing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

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  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21

Quantum Computing Explained

A self-contained treatment of the fundamentals of quantum computing

This clear, practical book takes quantum computing out of the realm of theoretical physics and teaches the fundamentals of the field to students and professionals who have not had training in quantum computing or quantum information theory, including computer scientists, programmers, electrical engineers, mathematicians, physics students, and chemists. The author cuts through the conventions of typical jargon-laden physics books and instead presents the material through his unique "how-to" approach and friendly,...
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22
A brilliantly original and richly illuminating exploration of entanglement, the seemingly telepathic communication between two separated particles—one of the fundamental concepts of quantum physics.

In 1935, in what would become the most cited of all of his papers, Albert Einstein showed that quantum mechanics predicted such a correlation, which he dubbed “spooky action at a distance.” In that same year, Erwin Schrödinger christened this spooky correlation “entanglement.” Yet its existence wasn’t firmly established until 1964, in a groundbreaking paper by the Irish physicist John...
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23

The Quantum Spy

A hyper-fast quantum computer is the digital equivalent of a nuclear bomb: whoever possesses one will be able to shred any encryption in existence, effectively owning the digital world. The question is: Who will build it first, the United States or China?

The latest of David Ignatius's timely, sharp-eyed espionage novels follows CIA agent Harris Chang into a quantum research lab compromised by a suspected Chinese informant. The breach provokes a mole hunt that is obsessive, destructive, and--above all--uncertain: Do the leaks expose real secrets, or are they false trails meant to deceive...

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Recommended by Andrew Liveris, and 1 others.

Andrew LiverisDow Chemical Company chairman and CEO Liveris will take this time to get away from heavier reading and enjoy some of the most highly acclaimed novels of the past year. (Source)

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24

Computing with Cells and Atoms

At the turning of the millennium, a switch in computing technology is forecasted and looked for. Two main directions of research, both based on quite unconventional ideas are most promising - quantum computing and molecular computing. In the last few years, both of these methods have been intensely investigated. The present book is the first "friendly" presentation of basic ideas in these exciting areas. The style is rigorous, but without entering into excessive technicalities. Equal attention is paid to the main practical results reported so far and the main theoretical developments. The... more

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25
This book integrates the foundations of quantum computing with a hands-on coding approach to this emerging field; it is the first work to bring these strands together in an updated manner. This work is suitable for both academic coursework and corporate technical training.

This volume comprises three books under one cover: Part I outlines the necessary foundations of quantum computing and quantum circuits. Part II walks through the canon of quantum computing algorithms and provides code on a range of quantum computing methods in current use. Part III covers the mathematical toolkit...
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26
Quantum computing uses the phenomena of quantum mechanics to perform it's calculations. The computational speed would be orders of magnitude greater than present day digital computers that we have become used to using whether it be a large scale mainframe or a desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. The digital computer uses bits which are a binary form of utilizing information in one of two states - either a 1 or a 0. The quantum computer uses quantum bits or qbits which can utilize data in a variety of states due to the quantum mechanical principles of superposition and entanglement. These... more

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28
For a physicist, all the world's information. The Universe and its workings are the ebb and flow of information. We are all transient patterns of information, passing on the recipe for our basic forms to future generations using a four-letter digital code called DNA.
In this engaging and mind-stretching account, Vlatko Vedral considers some of the deepest questions about the Universe and considers the implications of interpreting it in terms of information. He explains the nature of information, the idea of entropy, and the roots of this thinking in thermodynamics. He describes the...
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29

Quantum Computer Science

In the 1990's it was realized that quantum physics has some spectacular applications in computer science. This book is a concise introduction to quantum computation, developing the basic elements of this new branch of computational theory without assuming any background in physics. It begins with an introduction to the quantum theory from a computer-science perspective. It illustrates the quantum-computational approach with several elementary examples of quantum speed-up, before moving to the major applications: Shor's factoring algorithm, Grover's search algorithm, and quantum error... more

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Don't have time to read the top Quantum Computing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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31
In this remarkably illustrative and thoroughly accessible look at one of the most intriguing frontiers in science and computers, award-winning New York Times writer George Johnson reveals the fascinating world of quantum computing—the holy grail of super computers where the computing power of single atoms is harnassed to create machines capable of almost unimaginable calculations in the blink of an eye.

As computer chips continue to shrink in size, scientists anticipate the end of the road: A computer in which each switch is comprised of a single atom. Such a device would...
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32
Quantum Computing: The Vedic Fabric of the Digital Universe portrays the astounding bridge between two scientific world views— one modern, Western, and technology-based, and the other ancient, Eastern, and consciousness-based. Quantum Computing provides a guide to the striking parallels between leading edge quantum computation and quantum networking, and the ancient Veda and Vedic literature—and its evolutionary, practical applications. Quantum Computing is a seminal work containing 77 full-color figures that unfold a new way of understanding computer science in terms of the underlying fabric... more

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34
This volume presents written versions of the eight lectures given during the AMS Short Course held at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC. The objective of this course was to share with the scientific community the many exciting mathematical challenges arising from the new field of quantum computation and quantum information science. The course was geared toward demonstrating the great breadth and depth of this mathematically rich research field. less

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35
This book offers a concise and up-to-date introduction to the popular field of quantum information. It has originated in a series of invited lecture courses at various universities in different countries. This is reflected in its informal style of exposition and presentation of key results in the subject. In addition to treating quantum communication, entanglement and algorithms in great depth, this book also addresses a number of interesting miscellaneous topics, such as Maxwell's demon, Landauer's erasure, the Bekenstein bound, and Caratheodory's treatment of the Second Law of... more

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36
Mika Hirvensalo maps out the new multidisciplinary research area of quantum computing. The text contains an introduction to quantum computing as well as the most important recent results on the topic. The presentation is uniform and computer science-oriented. Thus, the book differs from most of the previous ones which are mainly physics-oriented. The special style of presentation makes the theory of quantum computing accessible to a larger audience. Many examples and exercises ease the understanding. In this second edition, a new chapter on quantum information has been added and numerous... more

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37

Broadband Quantum Cryptography

Quantum cryptography is a rapidly developing field that draws from a number of disciplines, from quantum optics to information theory to electrical engineering. By combining some fundamental quantum mechanical principles of single photons with various aspects of information theory, quantum cryptography represents a fundamental shift in the basis for security from numerical complexity to the fundamental physical nature of the communications channel. As such, it promises the holy grail of data security: theoretically unbreakable encryption. Of course, implementing quantum cryptography in real... more

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38
Quantum computers can (in theory) solve certain problems far faster than a classical computer running any known classical algorithm. While existing technologies for building quantum computers are in their infancy, it is not too early to consider their scalability and reliability in the context of the design of large-scale quantum computers. To architect such systems, one must understand what it takes to design and model a balanced, fault-tolerant quantum computer architecture. The goal of this lecture is to provide architectural abstractions for the design of a quantum computer and to explore... more

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Don't have time to read the top Quantum Computing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.