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SUMMARY:The semantics and unitarity of measurement-based computations - Ne
 il de Beaudrap (University of Cambridge)
DTSTART:20111020T131500Z
DTEND:20111020T141500Z
UID:TALK33749@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Paul Skrzypczyk
DESCRIPTION:The one-way quantum computer was proposed in 2001 by Raussendo
 rf and Briegel as a potential framework for actually constructing quantum 
 computers\, but captured the interest of a number of theorists for the unu
 sual way in which computations are described: primarily by single-qubit me
 asurements. In the original way of regarding it\, for instance\, any unita
 ry transformations which are performed involve mutually commuting operatio
 ns to prepare a generic resource state which is completely independent of 
 what is being computed\; the "real work" is done by an adaptive strategy o
 f single-spin measurement with classical communication. Nevertheless\, it 
 is often understood in terms of simulating unitary dynamics by a correspon
 dance with the circuit model. Even so\, not all measurement-based computat
 ions need arise from unitary circuits. This suggests the questions of \n* 
 determining when a measurement-based computation indeed simulates a unitar
 y transformation in a meaningful sense\; \n* in the case that it does\, de
 termining if it can be said to be simulating a particular circuit which pe
 rforms the same unitary\; and \n* finding additional ways to describe meas
 urement-based computation in higher-level terms\, should unitary circuits 
 fail to adequately provide semantics for all measurement based computation
 s. \n\nI will give a brief overview of measurement-based computation (as a
  theoretical model)\, and describe some of the results and tools surroundi
 ng these problems\, which consist largely of the well-publicized "flow" me
 thods developed by Kashefi et al. I will also describe what I consider to 
 be the natural research directions for these topics.\n
LOCATION:MR4\, Centre for Mathematical Sciences
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