Computation is the process of applying a procedure or algorithm to the
solution of a mathematical problem. Mathematicians and physicists have
been occupied for many decades pondering which problems can be solved by
which procedures, and, for those that can be solved, how this can most
efficiently be done. In recent years, quantum mechanics has augmented
our understanding of the process of computation and of its limitations.
Perspectives in Computation covers three broad topics: the computation
process and its limitations, the search for computational efficiency,
and the role of quantum mechanics in computation. The emphasis is
theoretical; Robert Geroch asks what can be done, and what, in
principle, are the limitations on what can be done? Geroch guides
readers through these topics by combining general discussions of broader
issues with precise mathematical formulations--as well as through
examples of how computation works.
Requiring little technical knowledge of mathematics or physics,
Perspectives in Computation will serve both advanced undergraduates
and graduate students in mathematics and physics, as well as other
scientists working in adjacent fields.