Quantum computing from a mathematical perspective: a description of the quantum circuit model

Abstract

This paper is an essentially self-contained and rigorous description of the fundamental principles of quantum computing from a mathematical perspective. It is intended to help mathematicians who want to get a grasp of this quickly growing discipline and find themselves taken aback by the language gap between mathematics and the pioneering fields on the matter: computer science and quantum physics. A first version of this paper was originally published at arXiv in October 2018. Minor corrections added on Spring 2025.