The pre-history of quantum computation

TL;DR

This paper explores the early history and development of quantum computation, highlighting its roots in Russian literature and the contributions of physicists and mathematicians from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Contribution

It provides an impartial synthesis of the origins of quantum computing, emphasizing overlooked Russian literature and the historical context of key ideas.

Findings

Roots of quantum computation in Russian literature

Early contributions by physicists and mathematicians

Relation of reversible processes to quantum origins

Abstract

The main ideas behind developments in the theory and technology of quantum computation were formulated in the late 1970s and early 1980s by two physicists in the West and a mathematician in the former Soviet Union. It is not generally known in the West that the subject has roots in the Russian technical literature. The author hopes to present as impartial a synthesis as possible of the early history of thought on this subject. The role of reversible and irreversible computational processes is examined briefly as it relates to the origins of quantum computing and the so-called Information Paradox in physics.