A Course in Unconventional Computation: Analog, Molecular, and Quantum
Bruce J. MacLennan PhdA Course in Unconventional Computation: Analog, Molecular, and Quantum is based on a course Bruce MacLennan taught at the advanced-undergraduate / beginning-graduate level for eight years (2012–19) in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Since unconventional (or nonstandard ) computation includes everything except conventional computation, it is a very broad area encompassing all the alternatives to the computing as it is ordinarily understood. For the purposes of this book, the topics are limited to the best developed alternatives to conventional computation with an emphasis on those that reveal the deep connections between computation and fundamental physical processes. These include the physical limits of computation, quantum computation, molecular (especially DNA) computation, and analog computation. This book also presents more general topics in unconventional computation to help the reader understand its importance for the future of computer science.