FOR DISTRIBUTION (Modified by CM ICTP - Trieste)

[Riccardo Zecchina]

Seminars in Statistical Physics


A series of seminars is starting this week in collaboration with the 
ICTP, within the activities of the PhD in Statistical Physics at SISSA.
In the best tradition of the field, the topics will include in many 
scientific areas, covering arguments of interest for physicists,
mathematicians and neuro-biologists. Suggestions are really welcome.

The standard schedule of the seminars will be on each Tuesday, in room 
D of the basement, at 12.30. The setting is meant to be a 
lunch-seminar, i.e. an informal atmosphere to stimulate discussions 
among the partecipants.
The relevant informations can be gathered from the web site

              http://www.sissa.it/he/statistical/phd.html

The first seminar of this series will be held, exceptionally, on the 
coming Friday, 24 November, in room D at 11 o'clock.


Antonello Scardicchio
Princeton University,
Department of Physics

    Title: Quantum Computing, Quantum Adiabatic Algorithm and Quantum 
Phase
    Transitions

    Abstract: In these last years, the connection between computational
    complexity and the properties of disordered systems has been
    investigated carefully. This led to a better comprehension of the
    phase diagrams and to new powerful classical (as opposed to quantum)
    algorithms for solving complex problems. The speed of a quantum
    algorithm, on the other hand, is dictated by the existence and
    characteristics of quantum critical points along the quantum 
evolution.
    I will sketch a program to study the properties of quantum spin 
glasses
    in connection to computational complexity on a quantum computer.