Quantum Computation and Quantum Information
Quantum Computation and Quantum Information by Nielsen and Chuangby Nielsen and Chuang
Shares rank 3 of 28 computer science textbooks by recommenders
Recommended as the standard, clear introduction to quantum mechanics and quantum computation, used heavily by researchers. Critics note it assumes strong linear algebra background and is hard to self-learn from.
Recommended as the standard, clear introduction to quantum mechanics and quantum computation, used heavily by researchers. Critics note it assumes strong linear algebra background and is hard to self-learn from.
12 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 12
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 12 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Clear explanations of quantum mechanics
“Nielsen and Chuang has the clearest exposition of quantum mechanics I've seen anywhere.”
Comment from 14 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Quantum Computation, Computers and Programming” “I don't know of a clearer explanation of the postulates of quantum mechanics.”
Comment from 24 Oct 2026 in “I don't understand quantum physics (2018)” “Nielsen & Chuang explain why quantum differs from classical”
Comment from 14 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Quantum Computation, Computers and Programming” Standard text in the field
“The Nielsen/Chuang book is what i see recommended everywhere and so am definitely going to get it.”
Comment from 14 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Quantum Computation, Computers and Programming” “The classic text is Nielsen and Chuang's "Quantum Computation and Quantum Information"”
Comment from 14 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Quantum Computation, Computers and Programming” “it's essentially the standard primer on the world of quantum computation”
Comment from 14 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Quantum Computation, Computers and Programming” Useful for research and career
“It helped me get to the position I am today as an academic researcher in QC”
Comment from 14 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Quantum Computation, Computers and Programming” “Most of what I use day to day in research”
Comment from 14 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Quantum Computation, Computers and Programming”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Assumes strong linear algebra background
“the book assumes a fair bit of mathematical background, especially in linear algebra”
Comment from 14 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Quantum Computation, Computers and Programming” Unstructured, hard to self-learn
“the unstructured and untested nature of it makes it hard to self learn”
Comment from 30 Oct 2026 in “Quantum Algorithms for Beginners”
Other computer science textbooks people recommend
The four most recommended other computer science textbooks, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programsby Abelson and Sussman | 55 | 5 | 92% | 12 | — | Approved |
| The Art of Computer Programmingby Donald E. Knuth | 28 | 6 | 82% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Quantum Computation and Quantum Informationby Nielsen and ChuangThis page | 12 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programsby Abelson and Sussman | 12 | 0 | 100% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Digital Design and Computer Architectureby Harris and Harris | 8 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
11 of the 15 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“the unstructured and untested nature of it makes it hard to self learn”
“using Nielsen and Chuang to learn about qubits and observables”
“I don't know of a clearer explanation of the postulates of quantum mechanics.”
“It helped me get to the position I am today as an academic researcher in QC”
“Nielsen & Chuang explain why quantum differs from classical”
“Most of what I use day to day in research”
“the book assumes a fair bit of mathematical background, especially in linear algebra”
“The Nielsen/Chuang book is what i see recommended everywhere and so am definitely going to get it.”
“Nielsen and Chuang has the clearest exposition of quantum mechanics I've seen anywhere.”
“The classic text is Nielsen and Chuang's "Quantum Computation and Quantum Information"”
“it's essentially the standard primer on the world of quantum computation”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.