Understanding Computation
Chris Jay Hoofnagle, Simson L. Garfinkel · Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2021
This chapter discusses key questions to provide a foundation for understanding why quantum computers are different from classical computation: What is computation? How is computation different from calculation? What kinds of tasks can computers perform? What is complexity theory? This chapter discusses the early design and government patronage of computing. Critically, this chapter dispels the commonly-held belief that quantum computers have magical, universal powers to solve problems.