Quantum Computing Isn't Weird. It Is Just Matrix Multiplication
And this is what makes it weird
Quantum Circuit diagrams are useful, but they also convey a false mental model. They suggest step-by-step updates, as with classic code. Initialize a Quantum State, do this, then that, then read a value.
However, the Quantum Circuit does not work in this way. This is because it is not a list of commands that are executed step by step. Instead, the Quantum Circuit defines a mathematical operator U. And applying the Quantum Circuit means applying this operator to the initial state.
Are you up for a journey? Admittedly, it involves some math. But not in the usual quantum mechanical way. Because in today’s post, we’ll put the pieces together. At the end, you’ll see that quantum computation is nothing but linear algebra.