Physics and Computation

This Element Has Three Main Aims. First It Aims To Help The Reader Understand The Concept Of Computation That Turing Developed His Corresponding Results And What Those Results Indicate About The Limits Of Computational Possibility. Second It Aims To Bring The Reader Up To Speed On Analyses Of Computation In Physical Systems Which Provide The Most General Characterizations Of What It Takes For A Physical System To Be A Computational System. Third It Aims To Introduce The Reader To Some Different Kinds Of Quantum Computers Describe Quantum Speedup And Present Some Explanation Sketches Of Quantum Speedup. If Successful This Element Will Equip The Reader With A Basic Knowledge Necessary For Pursuing These Topics In More Detail.