PNNL

PNNL data scientist Carlos M. Ortiz Marrero has co-edited a volume that highlights work at the intersection of quantum computation and mathematics.

Topological Phases of Matter and Quantum Computation contains the proceedings of the AMS Special Session on Topological Phases of Matter and Quantum Computation, held September 24–25, 2016, at Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine.

“Our volume enabled researchers to publish 12 articles, each a product of collaborations between 22 experts from various institutions—including PNNL,” said Ortiz Marrero, who arrived at PNNL in December 2015 as a postdoctoral research associate. “Those experts include authorities from industry, such as Microsoft Research, and academia.”

Quantum computing has exploded in popularity in recent years, noted in promotional material for the volume:

Sitting at the triple point between mathematics, physics, and computer science, it has the potential to revolutionize sub-disciplines in these fields. The academic importance of this field has been recognized in physics through the 2016 Nobel Prize. In mathematics, some of the 1990 Fields Medals were awarded for developments in topics that nowadays are fundamental tools for the study of topological quantum computation. Moreover, the practical importance of this discipline has been underscored by recent industry investments.

The targeted readership audience is primarily graduate students and researchers interested in quantum computation.

Co-editors include Paul Bruillard and Julia Plavnik. Bruillard, a former PNNL researcher and Ortiz Marrero’s postdoctoral mentor, is now a senior machine learning researcher with Expedia Group in Bellevue. Plavnik is an associate professor of mathematics at Indiana University in Bloomington.