A First Course in the Sporadic SICs: 41 (SpringerBriefs in Mathematical Physics, 41) - Softcover

Stacey, Blake C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3030761037 ISBN 13: 9783030761035

Publisher: Springer, 2021

Synopsis

This book focuses on the Symmetric Informationally Complete quantum measurements (SICs) in dimensions 2 and 3, along with one set of SICs in dimension 8. These objects stand out in ways that have earned them the moniker of "sporadic SICs". By some standards, they are more approachable than the other known SICs, while by others they are simply atypical. The author forays into quantum information theory using them as examples, and the author explores their connections with other exceptional objects like the Leech lattice and integral octonions. The sporadic SICs take readers from the classification of finite simple groups to Bell's theorem and the discovery that "hidden variables" cannot explain away quantum uncertainty.

While no one department teaches every subject to which the sporadic SICs pertain, the topic is approachable without too much background knowledge. The book includes exercises suitable for an elective at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level.

About this title

About the Author

Blake C. Stacey studied physics at MIT and Brandeis and currently researches quantum information theory at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3030761037
• ISBN 13: 9783030761035
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 123