May 8, 2003

Roger Howe, Yale University

Invariant theory and quantum computation


Quantum computation proposes to replace the familiar yes-no, on-off binary choices of standard logic with states in a two-dimensional quantum mechanical system having SU2 symmetry, the so-called "q-bits". It a challenge to try to understand how systems combining several q-bits can behave. This talk will discuss approaches using invariant theory to describe states in systems composed of small numbers of q-bits.