Feynman Lectures on Computation

The last lecture course that Nobel Prize winner Richard P. Feynman gave to students at Caltech from 1983 to 1986 was not on physics but on computer science. The first edition of the Feynman Lectures on Computation published in 1996 provided an overview of standard and not-so-standard topics in computer science given in Feynmanâs inimitable style. Although now over 20 years old most of the material is still relevant and interesting and Feynmanâs unique philosophy of learning and discovery shines through. For this new edition Tony Hey has updated the lectures with an invited chapter from Professor John Preskill on âœQuantum Computing 40 Years Laterâ. This contribution captures the progress made toward building a quantum computer since Feynmanâs original suggestions in 1981. The last 25 years have also seen the âœMooreâs lawâ roadmap for the IT industry coming to an end. To reflect this transition John Shalf Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has contributed a chapter on âœThe Future of Computing beyond Mooreâs Lawâ. The final update for this edition is an attempt to capture Feynmanâs interest in artificial intelligence and artificial neural networks. Eric Mjolsness now a Professor of Computer Science at the University of California Irvine was a Teaching Assistant for Feynmanâs original lecture course and his research interests are now the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning for multi-scale science. He has contributed a chapter called âœFeynman on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learningâ that captures the early discussions with Feynman and also looks toward future developments. This exciting and important work provides key reading for students and scholars in the fields of computer science and computational physics. . Language: English