Quantum information and computation
CSE 534 | Autumn 2025
The course material will be accessible to both computer scientists and physicists, provided they have a strong mathematical background. No explicit prerequisites are set for this course. We will review what is necessary but students with weaker math backgrounds may need to review material outside the course as necessary.
My expectation is that students have a strong mathematical background in linear algebra (such as MATH 318, 340, or equiv.). They should have taken and done well in such courses. In terms of computer science prerequisites, exposure to the theory of computation (such as CSE 431, 531, or equiv.) and theory of algorithms (such as CSE 417, CSE 521-22, 525, or equiv.) is useful as we will be extending the results from classical computation to quantum computation. No physics knowledge is necessary but it doesn't hurt to have taken a previous course on quantum mechanics (such as PHYS 225, 324, or equiv.). It is also helpful (but not necessary) to have taken group theory (such as MATH 402-04, 411-12, or equiv.), and analysis (such as MATH 327, 424-28 or equiv.).
Undergraduate students or graduate students of non-traditional backgrounds for this course are encouraged to contact me to see if this course is right for them.
Grades in this course are based 70% on ~5 problem sets and 30% on the (take-home) final. As this is a graduate course, we will try to be lenient for reasonable extension requests on problem sets but all requests are up to the discretion of the TA and a reason for refusal or approval will not be given.
The primary goal of problem sets is to help you learn and solidify the course material. Working through problems is one of the best ways to develop intuition, strengthen problem-solving skills, and prepare for the exam — which constitutes a significant fraction of your grade. Homework itself counts for only a small portion of your grade and is used primarily for pedagogical purposes, to guide your learning and ensure steady practice.
You are encouraged to collaborate with your peers on problem sets. Discussing approaches, explaining your reasoning, and hearing how others think about the problems are excellent ways to deepen your understanding. The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) is welcome for learning purposes but not for solving explicit problems. Some problems per homework will be labelled "solve individually", so that you can honestly gauge your grasp of the material. Ultimately, you are responsible for engaging with the coursework in the way that helps you learn most effectively.
If an AI system or a peer significantly helps you in your problem-solving process, you should acknowledge them in your submission (e.g., by listing their name or the tool you used on that problem). This is both because it is an academic norm, and also to help us understand how the class is doing; although it will have no effect on the grading.
Lastly, the take home exam will not allow any access to AI tools but will be open to any notes or resources you have generated using AI tools prior to the exam.
The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Behaving with integrity is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community. If you’re uncertain about if something is academic misconduct, ask me. I am willing to discuss questions you might have.
Acts of academic misconduct may include but are not limited to:
Concerns about these or other behaviors prohibited by the Student Conduct Code will be referred for investigation and adjudication by (include information for specific campus office).
Students found to have engaged in academic misconduct may receive a zero on the assignment (or other possible outcome).
Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at disability.uw.edu.
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).
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