Abstract:   It is a major open problem in quantum information to determine which quantum computations can be efficiently simulated by classical computers. The so-called stabilizer rank is a useful barometer for the classical simulation cost of quantum computations. In this talk I will give a gentle introduction to quantum computing and the stabilizer rank, and then present some number theoretic and algebraic geometric techniques for bounding the stabilizer rank. This is based on joint work with Vincent Steffan [https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.07781]. 

 12:15pm, 511 Lake Hall, Benjamin Lovitz (Northeastern)