Abstract: There's always room for one more introduction to quantum computing! This time, let's approach it by taking baby steps from basic boolean logic truth tables to alternate representations of classical logic, relaxing constraints until we arrive at superposition, entanglement, and quantum circuits. After a brief diversion into quantum advantage and the current state of the industry, we'll finish up by combining classical computer science and quantum algorithms for a seemingly simple task: setting a quantum state vector from a classical array of numbers, a foundational task for many algorithms in machine learning and more.
Bio: Vic Putz is the Head of Engineering at QCWare, a Palo Alto startup providing Quantum Computing as a Service. Prior to that, he spent 25 years as an officer in the US Air Force, in both physics and aviation, finishing his career as the Director of Research of the USAF Academy's physics department. He has a MS in Software Development and Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and a D. Phil in computational theoretical physics from Oxford University.