PHYSIC 351: Quantum Information III: Physics & Information

This course will cover fundamental concepts of information theory and statistical mechanics as a core tool for the understanding of physics and computation. Information is stored and processed by physical devices and it is therefore constrained by the fundamental laws of physics. In this course we begin by describing the origin of the concept of entropy in thermodynamics. We then discuss how the microscopic theory of atoms led to statistical mechanics, which makes it possible to derive and extend thermodynamics. This leads to the definition of entropy in terms of probabilities on the set of accessible microscopic states of a system and provided the inspiration for modern information theory starting with the seminal work of Shannon. We then discuss a variety of fundamental issues that emerge in defining information and how one must exercise care in discussing concepts such as order, disorder, and incomplete knowledge. Finally, we discuss how quantum mechanics gives rise to the concept of quantum information. Entirely new possibilities for information storage and computation are possible due to the massive parallel processing inherent in quantum mechanics